The Princess Wars: Sleeping Beauty
by jakbnimble
Summary: Rose, an overachieving high school senior, finds herself thrown into a wild adventure in an alternate dimension on the day of her graduation. Here, she is told that fairy tales are in fact true histories, and she is none other than the infamous Sleeping Beauty. Action, romance and tragedy ensue.
1. Chapter 1

Rose tapped her fingers on the steering wheel anxiously while waiting for the light to turn green. "Come on," she muttered to herself impatiently. Suddenly her cell phone began blaring a song that was now overplayed on the radio. _I need to change that ringtone soon_, she thought. She didn't even glance at the name on the screen because she already knew who it was. "Hey, Megan," she sighed.

"Where are you, Rose? You're gonna be late," her friend warned her. Just then the car behind her honked their horn. The light was green.

"I'm not far. I got stuck at the hair salon. The woman didn't know what she was doing, and my scalp is on fire." Rose tilted her head to relieve some of the pain. Then lightly touching her blonde tresses, she could hear them crunch now that the product had dried.

"Well, they're about to move us outside. You have five minutes!" Megan abruptly hung up the phone.

"Why are you even my best friend?" Rose asked the black screen. She pulled into her high school parking lot and found an open spot near the back. Once parked, she grabbed a white graduation cap off of the passenger seat and rushed out of the car. She was already dressed in her matching white robe as she ran to the school auditorium. As she ran, she put her phone on silent and shoved it into her dress pocket.

When the auditorium was finally in her sights, she saw students begin pouring out of the doors. She smiled in relief. _I made it!_ She waited outside the door until she saw the gap where she belonged and easily slipped into formation. Her breathing finally returned to normal when they took their seats in folding chairs set up on the football field. She glanced into the bleachers hoping to see her aunts, but the stands were too crowded to pinpoint them.

Rose took her place in the front row and held two pieces of paper tightly in her hands. As school staff began their speeches, the young man sitting beside her in his blue graduation robe leaned in and whispered, "Nervous much?" He pointed to her wrinkled papers. "You've got a death grip on those things," he chuckled.

Rose leaned in to respond, "This day is not going my way. I couldn't find my speech this morning, I was almost late getting here, and yes, I'm nervous. I'm so nervous I think I might puke."

"You've given speeches before. You're good at them."

"I know, but this is different."

"You'll be great. You're always great," he smiled.

"Thanks, Harry," she smiled back.

Rose's attention turned to the woman on the stage when she announced, "And now a speech from our valedictorian, Rose Le Soleil."

Rose smiled and took a deep breath as cheers, horns and whistles bellowed all around her. She felt her face grow warm when she looked over the podium at her peers as well as all the parents and teachers sitting in the stands. The speech she had prepared was etched in her brain after having gone over it so many times, so she barely even had to glance at the ruined papers once she began speaking. There was no quiver in her voice as she addressed them, "My friends, I'm sure all of us can remember being told at one point in our lives to treasure these years. And I think that we have. For the past four years I have watched my peers as they laughed, learned, played and loved. I have watched us grow into the adults we are now. I will always treasure these years. But now it's time to move forward. And I can say with certainty that each and every one of us will not only treasure today, but we will treasure _all _days. Life is a gift. Use it to make a difference in someone else's life. Use it to make a difference in the world. When you leave this place today, don't be sad that it's come to an end, but rather be joyful that your life is just beginning! Be joyful and treasure the days ahead."

An uproar of applause and cheers arose like a wave as Rose shook the hand of her principal and stepped off the stage. She sat back down in her seat and Harry shouted over the noise, "See? I told you; you're always great!"

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. Soon Rose was taking her gold tassel and moving it to the opposite side of her cap before tossing it into the air. She hugged everyone near her. Megan found her and embraced her. "You were so good!" she complimented. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time."

"Thanks. I made it _just_ in time."

"Like always," Megan laughed.

"Like always," Rose teased herself. She was well aware of her reputation for always being late.

"Are you coming to my party tonight?" Megan asked.

"Yeah. I might be a little-"

"Late?" Megan interrupted with a grin.

"Yes," Rose rolled her eyes. "My aunts want to take me out to celebrate. I should actually go and find them now." She scanned the crowd once more for them.

"Okay, well call me when you're on your way." With that, Megan disappeared.

"There you are!" Rose's aunt called out from behind her. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Aunt Clarice, you said you weren't going to cry." Rose reached out and hugged her.

"No, I said I would _try_ not to cry," Clarice corrected. "You did such a great job, sweetheart. I am so proud of you."

"I am too, Rose," said another of Rose's aunts, Cadence. Clarice and Cadence were twins in their early forties with dark brown hair and green eyes. Her third aunt, Madeleine was their older sister and looked much like them, and Rose found herself wondering where she was.

"Thanks you two. I love you. Where's Aunt Madeleine?"

"She's waiting by the car. She didn't think she could handle the crowd. You know Aunt Madeleine. Do you want to just meet us at the restaurant?" Clarice asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll start heading to my car now. I had to park in the back."

Half the cars in the parking lot were gone now, and Rose could see hers all alone at the far end. She put her speech on the passenger seat and covered it with her cap. Before pulling out of the driveway, she gave her high school one last look and sighed. "Take your own advice, Rose," she said to herself, "Be joyful for the days ahead of you, and don't dwell on the past."

She pulled up to a red light and saw her aunts starting to pull away. Focusing all her attention on the red light, she didn't see the car barreling toward her from behind. It crashed into the back of her car with immense force, causing the airbag to burst out and knock the wind out of her. Disoriented and in shock, Rose unbuckled her seatbelt, stumbled out of her car and fell to the ground. She coughed between gasps for breath. "That's her!" she heard a man shout. She turned her head toward the voice and saw a man rushing to reach her. He was dressed in all black.

She pleadingly lifted her hand toward him and breathed, "Help."

But before he was too near, Clarice appeared beside her, almost in a flash. She tried to lift Rose off the ground. "Come on, Rose! Get up." Rose still had trouble standing, so Clarice stepped away for a moment and faced the man as though she was ready to fight him. _What is going on?_ thought Rose. She watched as the end of a wand suddenly appeared in Clarice's hand, which she pulled out of her palm by grabbing the tip. Pointing it at the man, a green blast shot toward him. As he lay on the ground in agony, three more men, also dressed in black, leaped out of their car and rushed Clarice. She returned to Rose, who was now sitting with her back against her car. "Hold on, Rose! I'm getting you out of here."

In an instant they were somewhere completely different, somewhere Rose didn't recognize. A plethora of trees surrounded them, so thick that Rose couldn't see very far into them. She glanced at Clarice and noticed that she was different too - younger. Much younger. She couldn't be much older than Rose. Frightened, she tried to stand up, but she moved too quickly and toppled down again. "Oh, no, Rose," Clarice warned her, "Take it easy. Are you okay?"

"Who are you? Clarice? How did you get younger all of a sudden? Where are we? How did we get here? What's going on?" Rose asked frantically.

"Calm down, Rose. I can explain everything. Cadence and Madeleine will be here soon, and we'll go somewhere safe. Then we'll talk."

"No, you need to tell me what's going on right now! How did we get here? What is this place?"

"Okay, okay," Clarice agreed. "I look younger because I've brought you home – to your real home. And time works differently here." Suddenly Cadence and Madeleine appeared beside them. They were both young and beautiful as well.

"They're right on us," Madeleine informed them, "We have to get moving."

Clarice grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her along. "You all have wings?" Rose noticed. "What are you?"

"We're fairies," Madeleine told her, "and we're your protectors. We need to get you to your parents before Marina and her friends find you."

"Who's Marina?" Rose couldn't wait for answers, she needed information now.

Madeleine was growing impatient, "Marina wants you dead, Rose! Now just come with us for now. We aren't going far, and we'll let you know everything that's going on."

"Okay," Rose replied quietly. She followed her aunts to a cottage hidden deep in the forest. They went inside and locked the doors. While her aunts were whispering things at every door and window, she decided to look around. Everything was layered with dust. She blew some of the dust off a bookcase, causing particles to sting her eyes and nose. Then she read a few of the titles lined on the shelves: _Guide to Baking_, _America's History_ and _The Fall of Marina_. She picked up the last book and opened it to the front.

Chapter One – The Fairy Race

Chapter Two – Marina the Mighty

Chapter Three – Marina's Decision

Chapter Four – Marina's Return and Princess Rose

Chapter Five – A Thousand Deaths

Rose closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. _Princess Rose?_ She looked at her aunts who had now finished whispering at inanimate objects. "Am I dead? Or am I supposed to believe that I'm in some kind of fairy world?" she asked them, pursing her lips angrily.

"Rose," Clarice started, "we know this is a lot to take in, but you have to believe us. Do you remember the story of Sleeping Beauty?" Rose simply stared at Clarice, maintaining her sour glare. Clarice continued, "Well that's you sweetheart. You're Sleeping Beauty, and Marina is hunting you now that you're an adult. She wants you dead so she can have her revenge on fairies and on your parents."

"If this is real, then shouldn't I just prick my finger on a spindle and wait for a handsome prince to wake me with a kiss?"

"I wish everything in the story was true," Madeleine said, "but this is real life. It's no fairy tale."

Rose guffawed disbelievingly, "Well you're fairies, aren't you?" Her aunts were not amused.

"Rose, this is serious," Cadence spoke, "Your life is in danger. We don't know how Marina found you, but she did. And if we don't get you to your parents quickly, we'll all be killed."

Rose ran her fingers through her hair as she stepped toward a window. She spotted a crib in the corner. "Did we used to live here?" she asked, not turning to look at them.

"Yes," Madeleine told her. "We left here when you were two years old. Your parents didn't want to take any chances of you being found."

"Not that I'm ready to believe all of this yet," she said, spinning around to look at Madeleine, "but I think I need to know everything that's going on."

"Sit down," Madeleine told her, trying to dust off a sofa. Rose did as she said and waited for an explanation. "Marina was a fairy, but she became a witch. Witches are fairies that have fallen into evil. She used to be our queen and friend. Marina was so powerful and so good that she was known as 'Marina the Mighty' by everyone, not just to fairies. Then... something happened to her. We don't know what it was, but she suddenly became greedy for power, and being our queen wasn't good enough for her. She started talking about declaring war on your father's kingdom. So Clarice, Cadence and I warned your parents about her becoming a witch and her plans to overthrow them. Your father did the logical thing and gathered several warriors, fairy and human alike, and we banished Marina from the kingdom forever."

"She didn't put up much of a fight at the time," Cadence added.

Madeleine continued, "A few years later, you were born. Your parents were so happy. They threw you a huge party. People from all the surrounding kingdoms celebrated your birth and came to honor your family. But Marina came-"

"And threatened to kill me with a spindle," Rose said.

"No," Madeleine said. "She said that one day you would find each other, and you would become hers. She promised a thousand deaths and more. 'Your kingdom will be mine,' she told your father, 'as will all the others,' she warned the other kings and queens."

"That's when you brought me here."

Her aunts nodded in unison, and Madeleine spoke again, "But Marina's creatures hunted you every day, and your parents were so scared they would find you."

"So they asked us to take you to the other world," Clarice said.

"The other world?" Rose asked, furrowing her brows.

Madeleine explained, "A separate dimension from our own. We are able to travel there. That's how your story and so many others are being told there as fairy tales."

"And we've just been hiding out there for the past sixteen years?"

"Well, technically we've been there longer than sixteen years," commented Cadence.

Rose blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? What does that mean?"

"Time works differently here," Clarice repeated.

"She's right," started Madeleine, "We've figured out that one of our seasons is equal to about one other world year. And you aged at the same rate you would have in our world. It took you seventy-two other world years to reach adulthood."

Rose's mouth gaped in shock. "So when did we get there?"

"In the nineteen-forties," Clarice told her.

"Why don't I remember anything like that? Shouldn't I remember things like that?"

"We cast spells on you so you wouldn't notice. We couldn't allow you to know anything. It would only put you in danger," said Madeleine.

"And as you grew, we cast spells on ourselves to make us look older too," added Cadence. "That way, you wouldn't suspect anything."

"Why didn't you tell me all this before?"

"We didn't want to upset you, and like I said, the more you knew, the more dangerous it would be for you. We needed you to blend in and feel like you belonged." Madeleine placed her hand gently on Rose's knee. "We love you so much."

Rose put her hand atop Madeleine's. "I love you all too." She took a deep breath and looked around the room. "So what do we do now? Are my parents far?"

"We're in a neighboring kingdom, so the trip may take us a few days," said Madeleine. She pulled a note card out of her pocket and looked at it. "We'll stay here tonight."

When evening came, the four women slept upstairs in a loft area. Rose couldn't sleep, so she stared out a window. _Treasure the days ahead_, she thought, _yeah right. I can't believe I went from graduating high school this morning to being a fairy tale princess tonight. Megan is going to be so mad that I missed her party_. A gasp escaped her lips as she remembered the cell phone in her dress pocket. She pulled it out and examined the screen. Black. She tried to turn it on, but it wouldn't. She sighed and placed the phone back in her pocket. She continued gazing up at the stars until she fell asleep.

**Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! What you can expect to see in the second chapter: The ladies crash a royal party, Rose meets her prince charming, and Marina discovers Rose's whereabouts. Reviews welcomed. Thank you for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Daliah Valley, thank you for your review! That ****_was_**** quite an odd mouthful. :-) And I will be updating twice a week (maybe more on occasion).**

**I don't know if anyone has heard of Thomas Bergersen... He's a thirty-something year old Norwegian composer (his production company is called Two Steps From Hell), and he is AMAZING! He's my muse. You should really check out some of his stuff on YouTube if you get a chance. I completed this chapter while listening to ****_Love & Loss_****, ****_Remember M_****e and ****_Ironwing _(and somehow Usher slipped onto the playlist as well, inspiring one part of this chapter - you'll know it when you read it)****.**

Rose woke to the smell of breakfast cooking. She sat up and saw her aunts working together in the kitchen. It was the only area of the cottage they bothered to clean. "Good morning, sleepy head," Cadence greeted her cheerfully.

"Good morning." Rose stood beside Madeleine and sniffed the delicious aroma of the bacon she was cooking. "Mmmmm!"

"It's almost done, so have a seat at the table," Madeleine smiled. "Then we're leaving."

They each devoured their meals as quickly as they could, and didn't bother cleaning up before they left. When they emerged from the forest, Madeleine announced, "Good! We'll be right on time for the ball." She pulled out the note card Rose had noticed her looking at yesterday and reviewed it. Now she could see that her aunt had somehow managed to get a hold of an invitation.

"We're going to a ball? How can we even think of going to a ball when we're in so much danger?" Rose asked with disbelief.

"Your parents' closest friends are hosting this party, so they'll protect us," Madeleine explained.

"Do you think my parents will be there?"

Madeleine shrugs. "It's possible."

"So who are my parents' friends?"

"King Henry, Queen Roberta and Prince _Phillip_," Cadence sang, grinning like a fool. Rose took note of the emphasis her playful aunt placed on Phillip's name.

"Prince Phillip, like in the story? Is he supposed to be my _betrothed_?" Rose teased, exaggeratingly batting her eyelashes and folding her hands in front of her heart.

Madeleine answered plainly, "Yes, he is, but I don't think he'll be there. The king and queen are very protective of him, and since Marina wants you, they're afraid she'll want to hurt Phillip too."

Rose stopped in her tracks, reminding herself to breathe. "Wait a minute, wait a minute," she began, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Are you telling me that I really am supposed to _marry_ this man? This man I've never met!"

"Yes," her aunts chanted simultaneously.

"No," Rose shook her head. "No, I'm not. I can't marry a stranger!"

"Rose, that's how it is here," said Madeleine.

"Especially when you're royalty," Clarice added. "It's to unite and better your kingdoms."

"Plus, he's so cute!" chimed Cadence, allowing her wings to flutter gleefully.

"Does he know about this arrangement too?" queried Rose.

"Yes, he's known about the engagement his whole life," Madeleine told her.

"And he's okay with it?"

"We don't know," said Cadence. "We haven't seen him since your birth celebration."

Rose's mouth gaped, rendered speechless by this sudden information. When she managed to gain some of her composure, she found herself wanting to more about this man she was promised to. "Well, how old is he?"

The sisters glanced at each other, murmuring back and forth, "How old would he be now?", "I'm not sure. How old was he when we left?", "I don't think he was too much older." Clarice finally said to Rose, "Probably about twenty-two." Then biting her lip and tilting her head side to side uncertainly, she added, "Give or take a year or two."

"And he's really cute!" Cadence offered a second time.

"Great." Rose rolled her eyes and trudged behind her family, not pleased at all.

As luck would have it, they traveled the whole day without running into another soul. And just as the sun began to set, their destination was within their sights. "Okay, let's get dressed," Cadence said, clapping her hands together.

Rose watched as her aunts used magic to dress themselves in beautiful ball gowns and masquerade masks. Then Clarice waved her wand toward Rose, transforming her clothing into a lovely gown of green, blue and purple. Her mask was indigo with small green, blue and purple feathers. "A glamorous peacock!" Clarice exclaimed.

Rose admired her ensemble. "Wow," she gasped with delight.

Then Madeleine instructed them, "Let's go." As they entered the city, they saw many people walking toward the castle dressed in fancy costumes with matching masks. "Don't tell anyone your real name, Rose," Madeleine warned her. "Tonight, your name is Dana. Clarice and I are going to try to find King Henry and Queen Roberta. Cadence will look after you during the party."

Cadence locked arms with Rose as they stepped into the castle. "We are going to have such an amazing time, Rose!" she beamed.

Upon entering the castle, Rose simply tried soaking in the magnificence of it all. Partygoers laughed and danced in the center of the enormous ballroom. Others ate and drank beside long tables covered with an array food and drinks.

A man suddenly approached them, bowed to Cadence and asked her to dance. Rose recognized her aunt's puppy dog stare. "Go ahead," she urged her. "I'll just be over there having a drink." She pointed to one of the long tables.

"Thanks! Just try to fit in okay?" Cadence suggested quietly as she hurried to the dance floor with the man.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Rose muttered, sauntering toward the drinks.

When she arrived, she saw a man standing on the opposite side of the table shaking a metal container filled with liquid. Turning to her he asked, "What would you like to drink, miss?"

Rose had never ordered an alcoholic beverage before, and certainly never one in another world, so she didn't know what to request. "Please just make me something sweet," she said. She watched as the man skillfully mixed several liquids together, and when finished, placed a glass of dark red fluid in front of her.

"It's called Marina's Dream," he told her.

"It looks like blood," she said, squinching her nose.

"Exactly," he snorted, "but it's sweet."

She held the glass up to her nose, and the drink had a pleasant enough smell, so she took a sip. To her surprise it was very good. She continued sipping as she gazed at the people on the dance floor, admiring all the costumes. Her eyes stopped upon a young man when she thought she spotted him watching her from across the room. She couldn't be sure if he was looking at her directly due to the mask covering his face. Rose decided to ignore him at first simply by avoiding making eye contact, but when she did look at him again, she saw that he was still looking at her. Feeling embarrassed and slightly frightened, she thought it may be a good idea to walk around.

She found a balcony with steps leading down to a garden, so she went outside. The cool air felt good on her flushed cheeks and neck. She glanced into the party once more to make sure no one was following her. Cadence was still dancing, but with someone else now. In fact, it appeared there was a whole procession of men waiting for the chance to dance with her. Rose smiled, then went into the garden. Her fingertips traced along a wall of bushes that stood taller than her, and she paused a moment to smell a single white rose growing out of one. Continuing through the colorful labyrinth, she eventually happened upon a circular shaped clearing with a stone fountain in the center and matching stone benches surrounding it. She knelt down in front of the pool of water and pulled her mask off. Her skin cooled instantly as she dipped her hand into the water and gently pressed it against her cheeks and forehead.

"It was pretty warm in there," a man's voice said from behind, startling her.

She jumped and spun quickly to get a look at the stranger. She gasped lightly when she saw that it was the same guest that had been staring at her all evening. "Yes, it was," she replied warily.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he smiled. Taking off his silver mask, he held out his hand to help her off the ground. "My name is James."

Rose let out a soft breath when she laid eyes on his face. _He's gorgeous!_ James was a few inches taller than her with short dark brown hair and the darkest blue eyes she ever had the pleasure of observing. His white suit fit incredibly on his lean, yet muscular body. She took his hand, but being captivated by his beauty, she failed to let it go. Her gawked expression caused James to chuckle. "Oh," she mumbled, finally coming out of her stupor, "My name is... Dana." She had almost forgotten the alias Madeleine had told her to use.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dana," he said kindly as he helped her to her feet. "That's a very beautiful name... just like you."

Rose blushed. She wasn't used to a man's flattery, so she uncomfortably changed the subject. "So are you a friend of the king and queen?"

"Uh, yes, I suppose you could say that. But I'm more of a close friend to Prince Phillip."

"Oh," Rose said, slightly shaken by hearing the name of her fiancé. She still hadn't had time to accept that she was expected to marry him.

"And you? Are you a close friend?" he asked her.

"No, not really. I came with my aunts. They're inside."

"I happened to see you when you first walked in, and it looked like you came with fairies. Are the fairies your aunts? How can that be possible?"

Too many questions. Rose was beginning to feel anxious. "They're my adoptive aunts. My parents are -" She hesitated before going on, "dead." _I am such a terrible liar. He's probably not convinced._

"That's sad." His expression conveyed genuine sympathy. Then smiling sweetly at her, he asked, "Do you think your aunts would mind if we shared a dance?"

She felt herself blushing again. _Probably_, she thought, but her voice stated otherwise. "No, I don't think they'd mind."

He reached for her hand again, taking it gently in his own. Once on the dance floor, he took her right hand in his left hand, and placed his other hand on her waist. They swayed across the floor and spun gracefully in each other's arms. "You're very beautiful," he hummed.

"You have to stop saying that," she replied sheepishly.

"Why?"

"I feel embarrassed."

James smiled, "I'm sorry. I just haven't been able to stop watching you from the moment I laid eyes on you."

"Thank you," she whispered with rosy cheeks.

They continued dancing until an older man approached them and stated, "James, I need to speak with you a moment." Turning to Rose, the man said apologetically, "Please excuse this interruption, miss."

Rose smiled agreeably and released her grip on James' hand. Attempting to hide her disappointment, she grinned at James as he bowed his head respectfully before taking his leave. Unsure of what to do then, she scanned the dance floor once, then headed back toward the drinks. The same drink server approached her at the table. "Another one of those Marina's Dreams, please," she told him. She only had time for one sip when another man stole her attention.

"Pardon me," he greeted her politely. His hair was dark like the night sky, and his green eyes shone through his black mask. "I saw you dancing, and I was hypnotized by your beauty and grace. Will you dance with me now that your partner has had to leave?"

Rose glanced nervously at the bartender who gave her a friendly wink. "Okay," she agreed. She offered him her hand, and he led her to the dance floor. Almost as soon as they began, she had a parade of dance partners lining up for her just as they had for Cadence. She moved gracefully from one gentleman to the next repeatedly, smiling and having the time of her life. She spotted Cadence several times while being whisked across the room, and they shared happy glimpses.

All of sudden, the lighting in the room began to change, and everyone paused in fear and puzzlement. The ballroom darkened as multicolored chandeliers appeared above their heads, sparking lights all around like in a night club. That's when Cadence shouted happily, "Let's party!" She held her wand above her head and a cloud of pink fog covered all the guests. The dresses shortened and the tuxes became slightly looser. The music transformed from a classical number to a style that Rose may have turned up to full volume in her car.

The air of uncertainty only lasted a few moments, and soon everyone was jumping and swaying the way Rose was used to seeing people dance. Cadence found Rose in the crowd and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Thanks, Aunt Cadence. This is awesome!"

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now _this_ is how girls have fun," Cadence laughed.

Unfortunately their fun ended shortly thereafter when the doors opened with a loud thud. Everyone turned to see who was making such a commotion, and they gasped in horror at what they saw. A beautiful young woman with long black hair and a silky emerald evening gown entered, surrounded by an entourage of men, women and unusual creatures that Rose had never seen before. Some of them wore the same kind of black clothing as the men that had attacked her in her car yesterday.

A woman Rose assumed was Queen Roberta (due to the crown adorning her head) stood and called out, "How dare you come here, witch!"

"How dare I?" the woman replied angrily. "How dare _you_ go against our agreement?"

"We have done no such thing," argued the queen.

"Oh no? Where is your husband? I followed those traitors here, and I know Princess Rose is with them. If you do not turn her over to me by sunrise, I will relinquish our deal and take your son's life."

Rose felt herself beginning to tremble. Slowly peering around the room for her aunts, she couldn't see any of them, though she knew Cadence couldn't be too far. Suddenly, a set of fingertips gently graced her hand. She pulled away at first, but when she saw it was only James, now wearing his silver mask again, she allowed him to take her hand in his.

Before the witch left, she gave one final message, "What's done is done. Rose will join me no matter what you do, so you should just give up. Anthony's daughter and kingdom will be mine to control, and eventually all of you will be bowing to me. What I have planned is bigger than you know, and I keep my promises. You can be sure of that."

Murmurs of fear swept through the castle after she was gone. "I have to find my aunts," Rose told James, the quiver evident in her voice. She let go of his hand and began pushing against the frightened crowd as they hurried toward the exit.

"Dana!" he called. "Wait!"

But she could not wait. Rose didn't want to leave James, but she knew she was in danger, and she was endangering everyone else by being there. _Poor Phillip_, she thought, the witch's words repeating themselves in her mind. _I'm sorry I've put you in danger too_. Finally, she caught sight of Cadence standing on the steps leading upstairs.

Just then, James grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back toward him. "Dana, we can leave together. I can get us out of here."

"I'm sorry, James, but I can't go with you. I have to go with my aunts." Freeing herself from his grasp again, she sped up the steps and met Cadence, though James was not far behind her.

"Rose, come on! They're waiting for us upstairs," Cadence called, gesturing for her to hurry.

"Wait," James stopped them, "Rose? _You're_ Princess Rose?"

"Please don't tell anyone, James!" Rose begged.

He stared at her, stunned for a moment, and as Cadence tugged on Rose's arm again, he called, "No, wait!" Drawing closely to them, he whispered, "I'm Prince Phillip."

"What?" Rose asked in shock.

Cadence nudged her, "I told you he'd be cute."

Ignoring Cadence, Rose asked again, "What? I thought you were hiding from Marina."

"I can explain everything, and I will. But for now, let me get you to safety."

"Your dad's waiting for us upstairs," Cadence told Phillip.

"I'll take you to him," he said, leading them up the stairs. They followed him through red carpeted corridors until they reached a dead end. "I – I – I" Phillip stuttered. "This is my parents' room. I don't understand."

"I bet my sisters have hidden it. Hold on." Cadence pulled her wand out of her palm and said to the wall, "Show me," and a door opened. Then the three of them went inside and shut the door behind them.

"What are you doing here, Cadence?" Clarice asked. "You're supposed to be looking after Rose at the party."

"The party's over," Rose said as she entered, "and we have to get out of here."

"Marina knows we're here, and she wants King Henry to hand Rose over by sunrise or she'll kill Prince Phillip," Cadence explained.

"Marina was here?" the king asked frantically. "Where's Roberta?"

"I saw Kane taking care of her. They were headed for the library," Phillip assured him. "She's safe."

"Good." Henry sighed with relief.

"Who are you, young man?" Madeleine asked Phillip.

"This is my son, Phillip," Henry answered for him.

"Prince Phillip?" Madeleine turned quickly toward Henry. "I thought you were trying to hide him from Marina."

"Since she threatened us, we've had Phillip pretend to be a castle servant named James. I thought Marina was none the wiser."

"Then he can escape with Rose and me," suggested Madeleine. "I will go with them while Cadence and Clarice warn Anthony and Jacqueline."

The king was hesitant. "Madeleine, I don't know. We can protect him here. The other fairies will help us."

"They can't do anything for you now. This is not going to be as simple as singling Marina out and fighting her to the death. We're going to need more than yours and Anthony's kingdoms to fight her." Madeleine sighed and closed her eyes a moment. "She's not just after Anthony's kingdom or your kingdom, she's after the world. We need to let the other royals know what's going on. And if these two stay on the move, they'll be less easy for her to find."

Henry looked at his son. "Do you agree?"

Phillip nodded. "The nearest kingdom other than Anthony's is Queen Estelle's."

"Then that's where we'll go first," Madeleine tells them.

Henry stood and embraced his son. "Be careful, Phillip. And take care of Rose. Good luck to you."

**"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - W. Somerset Maugham**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone who is reading my story. I hope you're enjoying it!**

**And thank you, Thisbe, for your fun review. :-)**

Rose, Phillip and Madeleine left the kingdom before the sunrise, only stopping once to rest, and they alternated as lookouts while the others slept. Rose leaned against a tree, keeping Cadence and Clarice in her thoughts. _Please be safe_, she willed them.

As the sun peeked out, washing the sky with beautiful pinks and oranges, Rose woke up her companions. "We should go now."

Madeleine spent some of the time in the air, scouting for enemies. When she placed her feet back on the ground, Rose had a question for her.

"This person we're going to see - Queen Estelle - is she a princess from a fairy tale too?"

Madeleine thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so. She married the king after his wife passed away. Then he passed a few years later, and she's ruled ever since. Her people love her and respect her."

"Did she have any children with the king before he passed away?" Rose wondered.

"No. Sadly, she either miscarried or delivered stillborns. However, the king did have a daughter with his first wife, named Bianca. I understand that Queen Estelle and Princess Bianca have always shared a loving mother-daughter relationship in spite of them not being related by blood."

"From what I've heard travelers say," Phillip began, "the queen and her step-daughter have become somewhat of recluses."

"Really?" asked Madeleine.

Phillip nodded. "And now I have a question for you," he said, gazing at Rose. "What did you mean by, fairy tale?"

Rose summarized the stories she grew up hearing as a child in the other world, and how in Phillip's world they are the real lives of people. She described _Sleeping Beauty_ to him, explaining the similarities and differences she's noticed so far between the tale and her life.

"Sleeping Beauty awoke with a kiss from her prince charming?" Phillip grinned.

"Yes, and they lived happily ever after. That's how most fairy tales end," Rose smiled.

"Hopefully ours will end that way too," gleamed Phillip.

His response triggered a thought in Rose's mind. _Oh, yeah. I'm supposed to marry him. _She turned to him and smiled, feigning contentedness, but something inside her was still unsure about having a husband chosen for her. One of the best experiences in life was being able to fall in love.

Madeleine flew ahead of them to scout the area again, but not too far that she couldn't hear them if they were in danger. While they were alone, Phillip asked Rose to tell him about her life growing up in another world. "I've always been fascinated. Like your fairy tales, I heard stories too, but I've never actually been there or seen it."

"I thought people in this world could travel there whenever they wanted to, especially a _prince_," Rose pondered.

"No, it's very rare that anybody travels to the other world. You need access to portals in order to jump worlds, and there are few of them in existence. Two of them belong to your aunts. They have your parents' and my parents' portals."

"What's a portal?"

"They're the necklaces your aunts Madeleine and Clarice wear around their necks."

Rose envisioned the pendants her aunts always wore no matter where they went or whatever the occasion. Madeleine's was made of pewter and shaped like an archer, while Clarice's was gold and shaped like a sun. She wondered which one belonged to her parents, but she didn't ask.

Phillip also told Rose about his life growing up, and what it was like to hide away until no one recognized him, then pretending to be someone that he wasn't. "Sometimes it was nice, being normal I mean; I didn't have to hide anymore. But it was still hard for me to be someone I wasn't. I just wanted to be me."

Rose reached out and took Phillip's hand comfortingly. "I'm so sorry. That must have been hard for you."

"Thank you," he smiled, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Ugh!" Madeleine groaned from above, flitting her way down toward them. "Why can't you two fly? It would be so much easier."

"We shouldn't be too much further," said Phillip.

"I know. I flew ahead by about two miles, and I spoke to a man with a carriage. He said he'll wait for us and take us the rest of the way."

About forty minutes or so later, they met up with the man and loaded themselves into the carriage. The driver was very kind to them and chatted nonstop the whole way to the castle. "I'm sure Queen Estelle will be happy to have visitors. And so will Princess Bianca."

It didn't take them long to reach Queen Estelle's castle, and Madeleine spoke to a guard in front asking to speak to the queen. "This is Prince Phillip of King Henry's kingdom," she told him.

"Please wait here, Your Majesty, and I will return when I've spoken to Queen Estelle," he said politely, leaving them in the grand entryway.

Moments later it was the queen, not her guard, that returned for them. She radiated beauty and elegance. Her auburn hair was pulled partway up while the rest hung loosely past her shoulders. "Hello," she welcomed them. "I was told you're from King Henry's kingdom. It's a pleasure to have you in my home. Please follow me where we can speak privately."

After she had taken them to a secluded side room, Madeleine began explaining their predicament. "Thank you, Queen Estelle. We've come seeking your assistance against Marina. As you know, she has waged war with us."

"Yes, everyone knows of her goals to kill Princess Rose and take control of King Anthony's kingdom, but I thought you were from King Henry's kingdom. He no longer holds allegiance to Anthony, or so I thought."

"He still holds allegiance, Your Highness," Phillip assured her. "And we're afraid that she may try to take over your kingdom - _all_ kingdoms - if she succeeds in taking Anthony's."

Queen Estelle tapped her pointer finger on her chin as she sat in silent contemplation. Something about her made Rose feel uneasy. Mustering up the courage to speak to this obviously powerful woman, she asked, "Where's your daughter, Bianca?"

Estelle faced Rose, her icy glare almost piercing her soul. "_Step-_daughter," she clarified harshly. "I don't know where she runs off to these days. She likes to keep to herself. She's about your age." She rose swiftly to her feet and sauntered toward Rose, then gently wrapped her fingertips around her chin. "You're very pretty," she said calmly.

"So she isn't here?" Rose asked again.

"As I said, I don't know _where_ she is." Estelle released Rose from her grip. "You can tell Anthony that he has my allegiance," she said to no one in particular. "I'll do whatever it takes to get rid of Marina. Thank you for coming to tell me of this news. You may take a carriage of mine as a gift to help you on your assignment."

"Thank you, Queen Estelle," murmured Madeleine.

Suddenly rushing them from her home, the trio climbed into one of the queen's royal carriages. Rose noted, "She seemed in a hurry to get us out of there. Something didn't feel right about her. I hope Bianca is alright."

"I had the same feeling," agreed Madeleine. "But if there is something going on, it wouldn't be safe to stay and find out."

"So what's the plan now?" Rose asked.

"It would be helpful to have assistance from the seas. I wish that were possible." Phillip said in a defeated tone.

"You're right," Madeleine agrees firmly. "Our next destination is Calder's Sea. I heard what happened to his youngest, Dalis, having been attacked by a sea serpent. The snake could be working with Marina, so perhaps Calder will be willing to help us."

"Who are Dalis and Calder?" wondered Rose.

"You would know them as King Triton and Princess Ariel," Madeleine explained quickly as she climbed into the driver's seat of the carriage. As she pulled away from the castle, Rose found herself wondering how they would speak to the sea king if his home is located at the bottom of the ocean.

Later, Rose stared out the carriage's tiny window, marveling at the countryside. "It's so beautiful here."

"Is the other world beautiful too?" Phillip asked, his tone filled with curiosity.

"Yes, it is. My aunts took me on a road trip one summer, and we saw a lot of scenery like this. We just stopped anywhere that looked interesting. It was one of the best summers of my life."

"It sounds like they love you a lot."

"They do. I've always felt loved by them. They'll always be my family."

"Well, there will be a lot more scenic views on our way to the sea. It will probably take us two days to get there."

"Queen Estelle's kingdom is that big?"

"No, both our parents have the largest kingdoms on land. We're almost gone from Estelle's kingdom now. If I had a map, I could show you that there are certain areas that are not under anyone's control. Often it's where fugitives run to when they're hiding or if they've been banished. There's some speculation that Marina herself may live in an area like this."

"So we're about to enter... _badlands_?" Rose's eyes grew wide.

Phillip laughed, "Don't worry. Nobody's ever heard of attacks on the road. Fugitives are too afraid of being caught. If there is anyone on the road, they're most likely to be regular citizens in regular towns."

"There are towns in the badlands?"

"Yes. Some people feel they aren't free enough when living in a kingdom. Kingdoms offer much to be appreciated, but there are certain responsibilities that go along with them that aren't required in the nomad lands."

"Well," she started, "that makes me feel relieved."

"Ramport," Madeleine called down to them suddenly.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"It's a city," said Phillip.

"We can stop here for some food, but no sightseeing. We have to get moving quickly." Madeleine continued into Ramport, and Rose smiled as the citizens welcomed them warmly. It seemed that every person they passed by waved to them in a friendly manner.

"This is exactly how I pictured fairy tale towns," she confessed happily to Phillip, "Quaint and old-fashioned, and filled with joyful people."

"I've visited Ramport before, and I've always enjoyed my stays here."

Like Madeleine had requested, they ate quickly and left immediately after. Rose wished they could have spent more time there, but she understood why they needed to hurry.

Riding several more miles, she thought she spotted something in the vacant country. A small man, whom she could only describe as a goblin, stared at them as they passed. He had a snarled expression and glared at them with his bright yellow eyes. "What's that?" she asked Phillip. But when he peeked over her shoulder, the man was gone. "He was _just _there," she insisted. "A dwarf-like man with black hair and gray skin. His eyes were yellow, and he didn't look happy to see us."

"Probably a fugitive," Phillip said nonchalantly as he leaned back in his seat. "I wouldn't worry about him. He's gone now."

Rose tried to push the image of the man out of her head, but his unfriendly gaze was the first she'd experienced in the nomad lands, and it disturbed her. Eventually, the constant rhythm of the bouncing carriage put her to sleep. As she slept, she dreamt.

She was in a ballroom similar to King Henry and Queen Roberta's, but it was not the same. She looked down and saw that she was dressed in a long black gown, and a wide diamond necklace decorated her neck. _I look like I could be on the red carpet_, she thought. "Rose," said a familiar voice behind her. She turned and saw the witch from the party, Marina, standing tall and prideful.

"What do you want?" she asked gruffly.

"I just want what's rightfully mine." Marina's voice was calm and soothing.

"My father's kingdom does not belong to you." Rose's voice was strained with anger.

"Your father is a liar!" Marina scowled, her affect suddenly altering. "I declared that you would come to me, and so you will. There is _nothing_ you can do about it. If you want the people you care about to remain safe, then you will come alone."

"Rose," Madeleine's voice said like a fog. "Rose, we're stopping."

"What?"

"Prince Phillip is inside paying for our rooms. We're staying here tonight."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A long time sweetie. Let's go rest on some comfortable beds."

"Sounds good," Rose agreed. Her eyes fought to stay open. She didn't bother to ask where they were or how far they had been able to travel.

Phillip slept in the room adjoined to Rose and Madeleine's. Despite all the sleep she had gotten in the carriage, Rose still felt exhausted and fell asleep again shortly after lying down.

In the morning they all were refreshed. Phillip offered Madeleine a break by driving the carriage himself for the remainder of their trip. "We made much better time than I anticipated," Phillip explained before climbing onto the carriage. "We'll be to Calder's Sea by early afternoon."

Rose spent the next few hours laughing with her aunt, reminiscing about her childhood, and staring out the window some more. It seemed like no time had passed at all when Phillip called out, "We're here. High Waters."

"We'll have to stable the horse and have someone store the carriage for us while we visit King Calder," said Madeleine.

They easily found a stable worker with the capacity to look after both their horse and their carriage. "I'm not sure how long we'll be gone," Phillip explained to the man, "but you'll be paid generously when we return."

"Thank you. I'll take good care of him," said the man, patting the horse gently on its neck.

Madeleine led Rose and Phillip to a remote area on the beach, and they swam a few yards into the water. Rose kicked her feet, keeping herself afloat, as Madeleine began explaining her plan. "I've visited King Calder before, so finding Titania will be easy. I know how protective he is of Dalis, so meeting with him may be difficult. He doesn't trust anyone right away. The spell I'm casting has no time limit. The moment you breathe in surface air, you'll return to normal."

"What are you talking about, Aunt Madeleine?" But before there was an answer, Rose felt her feet forcing themselves together. Her body wriggled as she plunged into the water, afraid of what was happening to her. A dark blue cloud surrounded her legs and feet, and when it dissipated, she saw that her legs had transformed into a single fin. Madeleine had made them merpeople.

**"The one ironclad rule is that I have to try. I have to walk into my writing room and pick up my pen every weekday morning." - - Anne Tyler**


	4. Chapter 4

Rose gasped at the sight of her fishtail, and was delighted when she discovered she could breathe underwater. "This is great!" she exclaimed with a smile.

Phillip laughed as he tested out his new fin as well, spinning around and upside-down in the water. "Look at how fast I can move," he said, taking off his shirt. He swam away from Rose until he disappeared into dark water. Seconds later he returned laughing even louder.

"Okay, you two," Madeleine smiled. "Let's get going."

Madeleine found Titania quickly. Rose was amazed at how lit up it was underwater, just like any normal city would be. Merpeople swam happily, laughing in the streets, shopping, simply living their lives like everyone else. Nobody paid much attention to the three visitors unless it was a polite greeting or smile. Rose's eyes strayed everywhere, wide with wonderment. She giggled as a group of children played tag in a large city square.

When they reached King Calder's palace, Rose couldn't help but sigh, "Wow." _How can this be real? How can all of this even exist?_ "This is so -" She stopped mid-sentence.

Phillip smiled at her, "Amazing, isn't it?"

A guard greeted them at the palace gates, and Madeleine requested a meeting with King Calder. "I'm sorry, miss, but that is out of the question. King Calder will not see anyone at this time except for royalty."

Madeleine glanced at Phillip, and he seemed to understand what her look implied. "Sir, I am Prince Phillip. My father is King Henry, and _I _am requesting the meeting with King Calder. This fairy is my close friend and guide," he said, placing his hand on Madeleine's shoulder. "Please tell him that this concerns Princess Rose and myself. We are in danger."

"Sir, you're out of hiding? And Princess Rose is back?" the guard asked in shock.

Rose swam forward. "I am Princess Rose," she confirmed.

"Of course." The guard bowed to the royal pair. "Please, come in. I will speak to the king and ask if he will meet with you."

The golden palace exuded refinement, but at the same time, it made one feel right at home. Pictures of the royal family hung on almost every wall. Rose studied one, admiring King Calder and his seemingly joyful family. He had long brown hair and a strong torso. He was surrounded by his wife, four beautiful daughters and two sons that resembled him. His wife had long black hair and a kind expression. Three of his daughters looked similarly to their mother, while the youngest looked more like her father.

"King Calder will meet with Prince Phillip first," the guard informed them.

Rose wasn't sure why she would be excluded from meeting with the king. She was just as much of a royal as Phillip was, but she didn't care to remark in case it offended anyone. _Besides_, she thought, _I don't have any practice being royalty, so I wouldn't know what to say or how to behave_. Madeleine sat on a bench and laid her head back. Within a few seconds, she fell fast asleep, still sitting and leaning against the wall.

Rose heard bustling down the hall. Her curiosity compelled her to see what it was. Before swimming away, she took one more look at Madeleine, and when she was sure she was sound asleep, she slipped away. Moving slowly and quietly, Rose made her way down the hall peeking into every open area. She turned a corner and was startled when she almost bumped into a girl about her age.

The girl jumped back and said quietly, "You scared me."

"You scared me too," Rose said, matching the volume of the girl's voice. "I heard a noise, so I came to see what it was."

"I don't recognize you," noted the young woman. "Do you work here?"

"No, I'm here for a meeting with King Calder." Rose examined her momentarily, thinking she recognized her. "Hey, I know you," she recalled. "You're one of King Calder's daughters. I saw you in a bunch of pictures hanging up. Are you Dalis?" Unlike the portrayals of her in the pictures, in person, streaks of red shine brightly among her brown strands.

"Shh!" the girl said, grabbing Rose by the arm and pulling her closer to the wall. Placing her pointer finger up and down across her lips, she whispered, "Don't tell him you saw me."

"Why?"

"He never lets me leave. I'm barely even allowed to leave my room. He doesn't think I'm safe, even at home."

"So why are you out here?"

Dalis furrowed her brow at Rose and grasped her waist with her hands. "Are you kidding? Would you want to be cooped up at home all the time? I don't have any freedom. My brothers and sisters get to do whatever they want, but not me."

"Well, if I were you, I would listen to your father. It's not safe right now, and you could get hurt. That's what I'm here to talk to your father about."

"I would listen to this girl," a deep voice suddenly said. "She's smart."

Rose knew his face as the man from the pictures. _This must be King Calder_, she thought. Her suspicions were confirmed when Dalis gasped and pleaded, "Daddy -" But the king interjected.

"Dalis, I told you to stay put. Now go back to your room. I'll be paying you a visit to discuss this breakout plan of yours."

"Yes, sir," Dalis replied, hanging her head. Then she swam back down the corridor.

"Thank you for finding her. She's always getting herself in trouble," King Calder said to Rose. "Prince Phillip tells me that you are Princess Rose. Welcome home." Rose spied Phillip behind him, nodding in her direction.

"Thank you. This is all a little overwhelming for me." Then she added, "It seems it's that way for Dalis too."

Calder led them back to the entryway, where Madeleine was still sleeping. Phillip nudged her awake. "King Calder is here. He's agreed to meet with us."

Calder began their conversation, "So what does Marina have to do with Titania? She has never shown an interest in my sea."

"It's possible that she is collecting allies to assist her in defeating King Anthony. Your daughter, Dalis, has been threatened by the sea witch, correct?" Phillip asked.

"Yes, but as far as I can tell, Marina had no connection with that attack. That was my own daughter's foolishness."

"Marina has threatened to control all kingdoms once Anthony's is under her control, so the sea serpent could be a part of that plan," Phillip continued. "We desire to stop her before any of that can take place, but we'll need your help."

Calder didn't spend much time considering their request before he gave them his answer. "I'm sorry, but I won't involve myself in this. You seem like decent enough land dwellers, but I have to do what's best for my people and for my family."

The three of them hung their heads in defeat."Thank you, Your Majesty, for taking time to meet with us. We do hope you reconsider, and please, let us know if you do," Phillip thanked him.

As they started out, Calder took Rose gently by the arm. "Talk to the king and queen in High Waters. I don't know them well, but we've always shared an amicable relationship, never bothering each other. It's worth a try."

"Thank you," she told him, shaking his hand with gratitude.

As they neared the exit, Dalis found them in an empty hall. "My dad didn't listen to you, did he?" she asked Rose.

"It's not that he didn't listen. He just doesn't want to put any of you in danger, that's all," Rose explained softly.

Dalis guffawed, "Yeah. Always playing it safe."

Suddenly a rumble shook the ground like an earthquake, and the water bubbled. "What's going on?" Rose asked fearfully.

"I don't know," Dalis called above noise. "This has never happened before."

The waters around them moved fiercely, causing them to swirl around uncontrollably. Phillip tried to hold onto Rose, but she was ripped away from him and was thrown against a wall. Soon all the water was gone, and Rose, Phillip and Madeleine's legs returned to normal. "Surface air?" Madeleine said confused.

They ran outside the palace to see why this was happening. They gasped when they saw that Marina had divided the waters like a gorge, leaving Titania dry, and she was slowly being lowered toward the ground by two birdlike creatures. An evil smile lingered on her face. "I didn't think it was possible when I was told you'd be here, but here you are."

Rose worriedly gazed at the merpeople lying on the ground around her. They weren't able to move easily, but they seemed to have no trouble breathing air, so she returned her focus to Marina. Madeleine ran back into the water, leaving her and Phillip alone. "Aunt Madeleine!" she called out. _Why would she leave us here?_

"Rose," Marina said kindly. "Come with me, darling." She held out a welcoming hand. "You can't save any of these people," she paused, looking at the merpeople in disgust, "or any of these... things. Whatever they are. Things will be better if you join me. Everyone will stay safe if you join me. You have my word."

"Don't do it, Rose!" Phillip exclaimed, taking her hand. "Stay with me."

"I'll kill him." Marina's voice darkened. "I'll kill him and everyone near to you. Your parents, your precious aunts, these innocent _fish_." Her nose curled when speaking of the merpeople.

Rose was torn, not knowing what she should do. _Joining her won't help anybody, but she could potentially destroy these people's lives if I don't_. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she looked Phillip in the eyes. "Don't do it, Rose," he begged her again in a whisper. "Stay."

Just then, King Calder leaped out of the water wall and struck one of the bird creatures that had carried Marina to the bottom of the ravine. "He has legs," Rose gasped.

Madeleine appeared seconds later and explained herself. "I had to get help," she shrugged.

Rose embraced her aunt briefly before turning her attention on Marina and Calder. "You have just made yourself another enemy, Marina. How dare you attack my sea?" he demanded furiously.

"I've been hearing that a lot lately: How dare _I_? You're harboring fugitives just like King Henry! Don't learn your lesson the hard way like he did."

"What?" Phillip said in distress. "What did you do?!" Rose pulled on his shoulders as he angrily lunged toward the sorceress.

Marina laughed maliciously. "Why don't you go home and find out, Prince Phillip?" she mocked him.

"You horrid witch!" King Calder went to strike Marina with his trident, but the still living winged animal clutched her in its talons and lifted her to safety. As she rose higher and higher, the walls of water began crashing back down onto Titania. King Calder's legs morphed back into a fin when the water surrounded him.

Rose cried out as the water beat and stung her skin, waves flinging her body around like a rag doll. She couldn't breathe, and she could no longer tell which direction the surface was. Fortunately, Dalis seemed to appear out of nowhere, grabbed Rose around her chest, and pulled her to the surface. Rose took a deep gasping breath and coughed up all the water in her lungs. "Thank you," she finally managed to say. After gaining her composure, Rose frantically searched the beach for Phillip and Madeleine.

"She's gone," Dalis said.

"What?" Rose didn't understand.

"Marina isn't here. I think she's run away."

"I'm not looking for Marina," Rose explained, her voice tight with anxiety.

Dalis seemed to understand and submerged back into the water, returning seconds later with Madeleine. "I can't find him!" Dalis cried. When Madeleine was safely on the beach with Rose, Dalis plunged into the sea once again.

Rose and Madeleine stared in horror as Dalis failed to return to the surface with Phillip. Madeleine clutched Rose's hand shakily. "He'll be okay, Rose," she murmured, but even Rose could tell her words were empty.

Suddenly, both Dalis and her father broke through the surface, and they carried Phillip's limp body behind them. "No!" Rose cried, tears and saltwater staining her countenance.

Madeleine half crawled, half flew to Phillip's side, and immediately began performing CPR. Rose watched restlessly, praying he would live. "Phillip," she sobbed. "Please. Please don't go, Phillip." What was probably only a minute, felt like hours to Rose, but Phillip finally lifted his chest and coughed, and Madeleine helped him onto his side as water spurt out of his lungs. Laying him back down, he opened his eyes for a moment, only to smile at Rose, and then closed them again. _He's breathing; he's alive!_ Rose was thankful.

Out of nowhere, passersby on the beach clamored around them, asking if they could help in any way. "We need to get him out of here," Madeleine told them. Three men volunteered and helped carry an unconscious Phillip into town.

Rose tripped over herself as she struggled to her feet and followed the men. But before she was too far away, Calder had one last thing to say to her. "Princess. I'm sorry. My seas are at your behest."

Rose simply nodded in reply, then mouthed the words, _thank you_, to Dalis.

**As always, thank you for reading! What to expect in the next chapter: Romance, heartache, more romance, and Prince Phillip returns to his kingdom, hoping to find his family alive.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to Thisbe and Daliah for reviewing. I appreciate it SO much! ****And thank you to everyone else reading as well. **

**Yes, Dalis does seem a little familiar. ;-) I had thought to make sequels... One featuring Dalis as the lead character, and one featuring Bianca (who you'll meet in the next chapter).**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Once Phillip and Rose's identities were discovered, King Thomas and Queen Francis of High Waters welcomed the three friends into their castle. The doctors that tended to Phillip had him remain on bed rest for two days, and in spite of his efforts, Rose refused to leave his side. "Go outside. Meet people. I won't hate you for it," he teased her.

"I'm fine," she kept saying.

Just then the prince of High Waters, Peter, entered the room. "Excuse me, Princess Rose," he started, pushing strands of his dark bangs out of his eyes, "I know how important Prince Phillip's wellbeing is to you, but given that you've been cooped up for the past two days, I wanted to ask if you'd like to join me for dinner tonight. I'll be going into town." His gray eyes beamed with hope.

Rose glared at Madeleine out of the corner of her eye while she stood innocently in the corner. _I know Aunt Madeleine put him up to this. _Sighing, she knew she wasn't going to say no. "Thank you, Peter. Maybe it would be nice to get out."

The two of them were out the door in a few short minutes, and the restaurant Peter took her to was not what she was expecting. High Waters was a pristine city filled with buildings made of white stone, shops boasting finery in their front windows, and eateries with finely dressed wait staff and gold cutlery. But their carriage stopped in front of a small and very quaint café.

"This is it," Peter told her.

"This is it?"

"Yes. Is there something wrong with it?"

"No, no. But I'll admit that after everything I've seen here, I was half-expecting an extravagant restaurant with gold dinnerware and an orchestra playing classical music in the corner," she chuckled. "But this is simple. Simple is nice. I like it."

Peter smiled, "I'm glad. I like simple too."

To Rose's surprise, she had an instant rapport with Peter, and they spent the entire evening talking and laughing. Like Phillip, Peter was very interested in the other world, so Rose did her best to satisfy his curiosities. After dessert she said, "Thank you, Peter. I really needed this. I needed some normalcy. Since graduation I've been in a car wreck, chased by an insane woman and her minions, I've even become a mermaid!" Shaking her head, she chuckled, "I'm beginning to feel like this place is too much for me. What was it like for you growing up here?"

Peter shrugged. "From what you've told me, there are aspects of the other world that I envy. It seems you had more freedom there than you'll experience here."

"What do you mean?" she wonders, cocking her head.

"Are you in love with Phillip? How long have you known him?"

_I see where he's going with this now_, she thought. "Oh," she said quietly, lowering her eyes. "You're talking about my arranged marriage. To be honest, I'm not so sure how I feel about it. I care about Phillip, I do."

"Of course you care about him. That's evident since you've not left his side the entire time you've been in High Waters. But do you love him? Do you want to get married?"

Rose sat silently, unsure of her feelings. "I..." she paused. "I don't know. I'm not normally the kind of person that believes in love at first sight. I'm rational and logical and sometimes kind of a pessimist," she admitted. "But I will say that I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about him, and I didn't expect to feel that way so quickly." Then after another short pause she added, "But if I have to marry him, at least I don't hate him, right?"

Peter laughed, "That doesn't sound very pessimistic to me."

Rose didn't want to pry, but her curiosity got the best of her. "I take it you're marrying someone you're not in love with?" she inquired gently.

Peter picked up his fork and moved a piece of broccoli from side to side on his plate. "I'm not sure if you've heard, but my parents are in negotiation for a wife as we speak. The decision will be announced tomorrow night at a gala their throwing just for the occasion." He tossed the fork frustratingly on the table. "They're _negotiating_ for a wife. Someone that I will end up spending the rest of _my_ life with, yet I have no say."

"Peter, was your parents' marriage arranged?"

He nodded.

"They seem happy together. Wouldn't you say they're in love?"

"Certainly, they are now, but who's to say their relationship started out that way? They don't really talk about it with me."

"Okay," Rose sighed, "now you really have me in optimistic mode. Even if their marriage began tumultuously, at least it didn't end that way. Maybe they felt the same way that you do now, and maybe you'll fall in love with your future wife too." _Maybe, if you're lucky_, she thought pessimistically. Rose eyed Peter as he avoided making eye contact with her. She dared to pry one more time, "You're not _already_ in love, are you?"

"No," he said plainly, dismissing her query with a wave of his hand. "If that were the case, I'd be in _much_ more trouble."

They arrived back at the castle late. Rose went to check on Phillip, but he was already asleep. She asked one of the maids where her aunt Madeleine had gone, and she told her she had gone to visit King Calder. "King Calder?"

"Yes!" the maid said excitedly. "King Thomas has invited the royal merpeople to Prince Peter's engagement gala tomorrow evening. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes, exciting," Rose smiled, trying to match the woman's enthusiasm. Sighing, Rose decided not to wait up for her aunt, and to simply go to bed.

The next evening, the entire castle was buzzing with excitement. Guests from all over would be arriving any moment to hear the announcement for Peter's future bride.

"Everyone's going to be watching me," Peter confided nervously to Rose and Phillip.

"Peter," Phillip began, "you're the prince. Everyone would be watching you anyway."

"True," he agreed with a slight nod. "I'll see you in there," he added, disappearing into the ballroom.

Phillip and Rose stood on a platform at the top of the stairs while they waited for a host to announce their names. "Prince Phillip and Princess Rose," he said loudly. Rose heard a hitch in the music, and gasps came from every corner of the ballroom as everyone gawked at them descending the stairway.

"Well, now everyone knows we're back," Phillip whispered.

"Oh. Is that why everyone is staring at us? They're shocked?"

"Mostly to see you," he informed her. "You and your aunts are the _only _people to have ever lived in the other world. It's been a popular topic of conversation ever since you left."

More gasps followed only moments later when King Calder and his seven family members were announced as guests as well. Rose thought that Madeleine must have used her magic on them because they all had legs and were dressed appropriately for the party. Dalis shined in a purple gown adorned with green diamonds that wrapped around her dress like ivy. When dry, her wavy reddish-brown hair hung down to her waist. "Everyone seems so excited and shocked to see them," said Rose, recalling her brief conversation with the maid last night. "Why, when they're practically neighbors?"

Phillip leaned in closely and spoke softly, "King Calder has never left the sea, nor have any of his ancestors. Until now, he has refused to involve himself with human matters. In fact, you and I are the first humans to have ever visited his kingdom underwater."

"Wow," she breathed, feeling somewhat proud.

"Who is _that_?" Peter asked, approaching them from behind.

"Who's who?" Rose asked.

Peter tipped his head in Calder's direction. "I think they just announced her as one of King Calder's daughters, Dalis."

"Oh, well, you're right. She's his youngest daughter," Rose explained.

"You'll be spending a lot more time with her it seems, Peter," said Phillip casually. Rose and Peter exchanged confused glances, then returned their attention to Phillip, so he continued, "Madeleine informed me last night that Dalis will be staying here with your family for a while. After Marina's attack on Titania, King Calder is afraid the sea serpent will attack her again, so he's asked for your family's cooperation in keeping her safe on land."

"She's staying with us?" he asked breathily, curling his lips into a boyish grin.

Phillip frowned disapprovingly. "Peter, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Peter retorted innocently.

"Your parents are throwing this party in order to announce your fiancée, so you can't begin fawning all over Dalis. She isn't even human. Your parents would never allow a marriage like that. For that matter, King Calder would never allow his daughter to marry _you_. My suggestion would be that you keep your eyes off of her."

Every fiber of Rose's being was telling her to stay quiet, that she had no knowledge of the culture here, that she had no business meddling in people's love lives, but she couldn't help herself. "Phillip," Rose began somewhat harshly, "you don't think that King Calder or Peter's parents would give love a chance if they knew there was a spark? And what does being human or being a mermaid have anything to do with it? She has legs now, doesn't she?"

Phillip was at a loss for words. He stared at Rose, dumbfounded.

"Phillip's right, Rose," Peter said gravely.

"Rose!" Dalis said suddenly, happily hurrying toward the small group and embracing Rose. Then she reached for Phillip. "Phillip! You're okay."

"Thanks to you and your father, I am. I can't thank you enough, Dalis." Phillip took her hand and kissed it.

"You must be Prince Peter. I'm Princess Dalis."

"Please call me Peter," he replied sheepishly.

A slight blush swept across Dalis' cheeks. "Then, please call me Dalis."

"Dalis, would you join me in a dance?" Peter requested.

Dalis seemed uneasy. "This is the first time I've ever had legs," she explained, "so I may be a bad dancer. I've been tripping all over myself today."

"I'll support you," said Peter.

"Okay. I've always wanted to try dancing!" she agreed excitedly.

Peter and Dalis danced and talked and laughed together all evening. Peter politely offered to dance with a few other women as well, especially if his mother insisted upon it, but he always immediately returned to Dalis.

It was nearing the end of the party, and Rose found herself being trampled by Dalis. "Where's Peter?" Rose asked her.

"He said he needed to speak with his parents. He's pretty great, isn't he?"

"He is," she replied simply.

Dalis giggled, "I like him a lot, Rose! Do you think he likes me too?"

Rose stumbled over her words, "Um, well, sure, but..."

"But what?" Dalis asked, her expression falling.

"Well..." Rose was sure Dalis would have known about this being Peter's engagement gala, so why would she seem so love-struck like this? "You see -" But her explanation was cut off by King Thomas.

The entire ballroom silenced as the king rose from his throne to speak. "Thank you, friends, for coming and celebrating with us on this marvelous day. As you all know," he reached out and took his tearful, but joyful wife's hand, "we will be announcing our son's future bride tonight."

"No!" Dalis gasped, her eyes filling with tears. She tried to wipe them away before anyone saw.

"I'm so sorry, Dalis." Rose took Dalis in her arms and hugged her. "I thought you knew."

"Of course this would happen to me. And now I have to live with him, seeing him every day, knowing that I can't have him." Dalis looked like she might break into a panic attack at any moment.

Rose glanced at Peter, who was sitting beside his mother. He looked like he might be sick.

Thomas continued, "So without further delay, we are proud to announce that our future daughter-in-law will be the beautiful and kind Princess Audrey, daughter of King Mitchell and Queen Arabella."

Rose kept an arm around Dalis as she stood as motionless as a statue. Tears poured down her face for everyone to see as she watched Peter and Audrey walk hand-in-hand until they were standing at King Thomas' side. Audrey smiled happily and confidently, while Peter stared lifelessly at his new fiancée and at the applauding guests.

"And now, we'll let the happy couple share in a loving dance," announced Queen Francis.

Peter and Audrey moved onto the dance floor and waltzed together. Every few moments Peter's attention strayed to the audience, searching for something. _Or someone_, Rose thought.

Dalis slowly turned and rushed out of the party, Rose following closely behind her. "Dalis, it's going to be okay," she called.

"What do you know, Rose?" Dalis asked angrily, spinning around to face her. "You aren't even from here. Lucky you, you get to marry the man of your dreams, your prince charming, your soul mate. For all I know, I'll be attending the wedding of mine to some other woman."

"I'm sorry, Dalis. I'm so sorry." Rose shook her head, not knowing what to say to comfort her.

"I just need to be alone right now." Dalis sobbed and disappeared from the castle.

Rose stared at empty air until Phillip joined her. "Dalis is upset too," he stated.

Rose nodded. "What about Peter?"

"He doesn't want to marry Audrey. He tried to talk to his parents about letting him postpone an engagement, and he told them about his instant connection with Dalis."

"They didn't take it well?" she asked sarcastically.

Phillip answered matter-of-factly, "No." Neither of them said anything for several minutes, and then Phillip spoke up again. "Will you walk with me?"

"Okay," Rose agreed nonchalantly.

He led her to the beach where they waded in the water. "In the other world, you would have been free to choose your own husband, right?"

"Yes." Rose was sure to answer cautiously because she wasn't sure where the conversation was leading.

Phillip seemed to choose his words carefully as well. "When you came here and found out who you were," he paused, "were you upset that our marriage was prearranged?"

Rose gulped nervously. "Well..." She hesitated before continuing, and soon realized that she didn't know how to continue. She swallowed again, thinking for sure that Phillip would lose his patience with her, but he just watched her intently, waiting for her response. "I suppose I was upset at first," she confessed. She watched his face closely, gauging his reaction. His breathing had slowed, and his eyes were wide with... _hope?_, she wondered. "But I'm not so sure I am anymore. I'm not saying I want to get married tomorrow, but I've never felt so happy with someone this quickly before."

Phillip's posture visibly relaxed. "I was glad when I found you. You know," he grinned, "I've never in my life approached a woman like I approached you at my parents' party that night, but something pulled me to you, and now I know why." Rose froze as Phillip brushed her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek with his finger. "May I kiss you?" he whispered.

Rose nodded shakily. Then gently lifting her chin, his lips met hers, and Rose melted into his arms.

The next morning, Rose, Phillip and Madeleine were packed and ready to return to King Henry's kingdom. Phillip hadn't stopped worrying about his family since Marina's threat to Calder. Rose had hoped she could speak to Peter or Dalis before they departed, but she hadn't been able to find either one of them since after the gala. Then, just as she was about to exit the door, Dalis stopped her, "Rose, wait."

"Dalis!" Rose smiled, clutching her new friend in her arms.

"Rose, thank you for trying to help me last night," she grinned. "You're a good friend. I'm glad my father decided to help you and Phillip."

Rose hugged Dalis tightly. "I think everything will be okay, Dalis. If nothing else, you and Peter could turn out being friends, so enjoy your stay here, and enjoy Peter. We'll see each other again soon." And with that, she took her leave.

The return journey was much quicker due to Phillip's determination to reach his parents. They agreed to ride nonstop, taking turns driving and sleeping. All three of them were exhausted by the time the kingdom was in view, but their adrenaline woke them up again. At first nothing seemed out of place; buildings were still erect, the streets were quiet, and it didn't appear that any sort of attack had taken place. "It's really quiet," Phillip whispered.

"I noticed that as well," said Madeleine.

Rose didn't seem to understand right away, but now that they had mentioned it, the city was eerily quiet. In fact, no one seemed to be around at all.

They continued toward the north side of the city, where Phillip's castle was, and they guardedly made their way inside. Phillip observed the area and noted, "Something doesn't feel right. Everyone is gone."

"Where could they have gone?" Rose asked, puzzled. "Do you think they evacuated the city after Marina threatened them?"

"No," Madeleine answered gravely, stealing their attentions. "This was Marina's doing. I think she has them."

"What?" Phillip asked with disbelief. "Has who? The entire city?"

"How, Aunt Madeleine?" Rose asked softly.

"I know of spells where someone can curse a large amount of people, entire cities even, and imprison them."

"So you're saying my parents and my people are in Marina's custody?"

"That's what I'm saying, but at least they're alive." Turning to Rose, she said, "We're going to need help from your parents if we're going to rescue them. By taking this action on King Henry, Marina's officially made her first move in this war."


	6. Chapter 6

Rose sat in the driver's seat with Phillip, admiring her homeland. Patches of forest dotted the grassy rolling hills, and fields of colorful flowers pleased Rose's olfactory as they passed through. "Does it feel good to be home?" Phillip asked.

"Surprisingly, yes," Rose hummed. "Even though I don't remember this place, it still feels like I never left. It feels…right."

"There it is," Phillip said, pointing ahead of them.

"My home?" Rose asked cheerfully.

"Home," he confirmed.

The carriage wheels clicked against the cobblestone streets. "It's exactly like I pictured it would be," Rose breathed. It was the epitome of fairy tale perfection. Happy townspeople went about their business, filling the streets with laughter and smiles. Rose half-expected someone to break into song at any moment, including a well rehearsed dance which everyone would partake in. "Is this what it's always like? So lively?" Rose asked.

"It's been this way lately, since they know their princess will be coming home this year," Phillip said with a grin. "They must be excited after hearing Clarice and Cadence's news of your return."

As the carriage pulled in front of the royal castle, Rose noticed a line of guards blocking the entrance. The one that seemed to be in charge approached them warily at first, until he caught sight of Phillip. Laughing, he called out happily, "It's been a long time! Where have you been?" He reached up and shook hands with Phillip. "And who is this lovely young woman?"

Phillip chuckled, "Hi, Lawrence."

Madeleine opened the carriage door, and as she stepped out, the guard's expression morphed into shock. "Madeleine? Fairy Madeleine?" Then he looked up toward Rose. "Are you..." he stammered. "Are you...?"

Phillip leaped down from his seat. "Lawrence," he said calmly, "we need to speak to the king."

Lawrence smiled widely, helped Rose down, and kissed her hand. "We are so glad you're home, Your Majesty," he whispered.

"Thank you," she blushed.

Lawrence led the trio through the castle corridors toward King Anthony. Rose heard several servants murmuring as she passed, "Fairy Madeleine? Does that mean the princess is back? Could that be her?"

Madeleine's posture was rigid. "Why don't they know about our return yet?" she asked under her breath.

"Aunt Madeleine?"

"Your aunts should have already been here to let them know you're safe. Nobody should be shocked to see us. They should know everything already."

"Maybe my parents haven't told anyone else yet," Rose reasoned.

"It wouldn't matter if they told anyone or not. You saw how those people recognized me. They would have recognized them as well."

They reached a large double door entrance, and Madeleine pushed past Lawrence to get inside. A conversation between several men immediately ceased when they saw Madeleine. Rose examined the faces in the room trying to figure out which one was her father. "Madeleine?" one of them said. He was a handsome man with blonde hair. _Maybe that's my father_, Rose hoped. "You've returned. And Phillip, you're here too."

Phillip nodded. "Your Majesty," he said, gently pulling Rose forward, "your daughter, sir."

Rose suddenly felt flushed, and her stomach started doing flips. She swallowed hard as she watched her father stare at her intently. "Rose," he said quietly. "My beautiful girl." His fingers graced a strand of her hair, placing it behind her ear. She smiled at him. "You have your mother's smile," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion.

Rose hugged her father, and through soft sobs said, "I'm so glad I'm home. I'm so glad I'm home."

"I'm glad too," Anthony told her. "We can be a family again. We've missed you so much." He pulled her head away from his chest in order to look at her. "Let's go find your mother. She's been waiting a long time for this day."

"Your Majesty," Madeleine interjected, "I know you're excited to see Rose, and I know Queen Jacqueline is too, but why don't you already know about our arrival? I don't understand."

"I don't understand either," replied Anthony. "How would we have known?"

"Clarice and Cadence were supposed to notify you that we were here. We arrived several days ago, and we've been to visit Queen Estelle, King Thomas and King Calder."

"Why would you take her to see them before bringing her home?" Anthony was not angry, but rather confused.

Madeleine explained how they arrived in King Henry's kingdom and were found by Marina. "We thought for sure she would travel here next, so to keep Rose safe, I brought her with me while I attempted to inform others of Marina's intent."

"So your father is aware of all this then, Phillip?" Anthony asked him.

A grave expression spread across Phillip's face. "My father is missing, sir."

"Missing?"

"Their whole _city_ is missing," Madeleine continued. "I think Marina has them."

"I need to speak to the two of you about everything that's happened. Lawrence, please take my daughter to Jacqueline." Then looking at Rose he said, "My sweet girl, you and I will spend more time together soon."

"Princess, please come with me," said Lawrence, holding out his hand. Then he led her out of the room.

Rose twisted the fabric of her dress between her fingers nervously. Lawrence must have sensed her anxiety, because he smiled kindly as he told her, "Your mother is the kindest woman I have ever met. She's been a constant joy in the castle since the day she and your father became engaged."

"Their marriage was arranged?" she asked quietly.

"They are perfect partners, and they love each other very much. They love _you_ very much too," he added.

Rose nodded silently.

They reached a bedroom and entered without knocking. A maid greeted them as they came in. "Lord Lawrence," she greeted him with a curtsy. "What can I do for you and this young woman?"

"King Anthony asked me to bring the princess to Her Majesty."

"The princess?" the maid asked, shooting her eyes up and down Rose. A hushed breath escaped her lips. "Princess..." she whispered, "Rose?" Rose smiled, and the woman clapped her hands happily. "Queen Jacqueline will be so happy to see you! Follow me please."

Lawrence bowed to Rose. "I must take my leave, Princess."

"Thank you, Lawrence."

Rose followed the maid into an adjoining room with a balcony. The french doors of the balcony were open, and white curtains swayed back and forth with the breeze. When one of the curtains shifted, Rose spied a woman sitting in a chair looking over the railing. Before the maid had a chance to announce their presence, Rose asked, "Mother?"

The woman turned her head, revealing a puzzled expression. But upon seeing Rose, her blue eyes watered joyfully, and she placed her hand over her mouth to stifle a whimper. "Is it really you?" the queen asked.

Rose nodded as a tear fell down her cheek. "It's really me."

Jacqueline rose to her feet, hurried toward Rose and embraced her lovingly. "Oh, Rose, my baby girl. I've missed you so much! I almost can't believe it."

"I've missed you too, Mom."

"You're so beautiful. You're even prettier than I imagined you'd be."

After they calmed, the two of them sat talking about everything that had happened in their lives. Rose wasn't sure how long they had been conversing when Madeleine, Phillip and Anthony appeared on the balcony. Jacqueline stood and took her husband's hand while hugging Madeleine with her free arm. "Madeleine, I can't thank you enough for taking such good care of Rose for us. We owe you and your sisters so much." She pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "Where are Clarice and Cadence? I want to thank them too."

Madeleine's eyes reddened with tears. "Your Majesty, I think Marina has them."

"What?" Rose asked, rising from her chair.

Madeleine continued explaining to the queen, "They were on their way here to tell you about Rose and our escape from the other world, but they never made it."

"No!" Jacqueline gasped, turning fearfully toward Anthony.

Anthony announced, "I have recruited several warrior fairies to leave immediately to begin a search for your sisters and anyone from King Henry's kingdom. They will also be looking for anything suspicious that could be Marina's hideout. Others will be travelling to further kingdoms informing them of the situation and requesting their assistance in this war."

"I want to go with them," Madeleine said adamantly.

"Aunt Madeleine!" Rose didn't want to lose another loved one.

"Rose, I need to look for them. They're our family."

Rose understood the pain Madeleine was feeling, and she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement.

"They'll be ready now, Madeleine. You should hurry outside," said Anthony.

They all went outside to see Madeleine and the other fairies off. Rose felt a knot in the pit of her stomach as she waved to her aunt. _Please be okay_, she thought. Phillip reached down and squeezed Rose's hand. "It'll be okay," he said as though he could read her thoughts.

"I know," she whispered.

When the fairies were no longer in sight, Anthony sighed, "There's something we need to discuss." He turned to face his wife and looked as though he had done something to betray her. "All of us."

"What's wrong, Anthony?" Jacqueline asked when they were back in the bedroom.

"There's something I need to explain to all of you," he began, "and it isn't easy for me to say." He briefly looked at each of them in the eye before continuing, "Marina's vendetta against me didn't come out of thin air. She has a right to be angry with me."

"What?" They all gasped in unison.

"Marina and I were in love once. I'm so sorry, Jacqueline," he pleads. "I should have told you, but I didn't know how."

"I'm not sure what this has to do with Marina's hatred for you, sir," wondered Phillip.

"Nobody knew that Marina and I were in love. We kept it hidden. I was sixteen when I found out Jacqueline and I were engaged. Marina and I knew that no one would accept us as a couple, so we planned to run away together before the wedding." He paused, offering his wife a sheepish grin. Then he continued, "But then I met Jacqueline, and I immediately fell for her. I knew I couldn't leave her, so I went to confess everything to Marina. I apologized profusely, but naturally she was too furious to understand or forgive me. We didn't speak for a long time, but our lives progressed - I married, and Marina became queen of the fairies. Eventually we came to have an amicable relationship again, so I thought she had finally forgiven me. Then when Jacqueline became pregnant with Rose, Marina came to me with a request. She asked that, once of age, our daughter marry her son, Declan. I didn't even know she'd had a child, and she wouldn't reveal who the father was. I told her that we had already arranged with King Henry that Phillip would marry Rose. Again, she was furious, screaming about my loyalty to everyone but her. It wasn't long afterward that your aunts warned me about her plans to kill Jacqueline and our unborn child. The fairy council sided with me, and they banished Marina from their kingdom; she took her son with her. She surprised everyone by coming to your birth celebration-"

"And that's when she cursed me," Rose interrupted.

"Yes. She said that upon reaching adulthood, you would find your rightful place with her, and she would destroy our kingdom with you by her side."

"A thousand deaths and more," stated Jacqueline.

"Your aunts were each going to give you a gift," Anthony went on. "Clarice gave you intelligence, Cadence gave you beauty, but Marina's interruption came before Madeleine could bestow a gift, so she altered Marina's curse by offering you love's sight."

"Love's sight?" Rose asked. "What does it do?"

"She described it as a feeling to alert something in you, giving you clarity of those that can be trusted, those who sincerely love you. Hopefully it will resist any urges the curse puts on you to join Marina," Anthony explained.

Rose reminisced about times when she thought Madeleine's gift may have helped her. She smiled thinking of the joy she felt upon meeting Phillip for the first time, but she frowned when she remembered the uneasy feeling she had around Queen Estelle.

"I'm so sorry about everything, Rose. I never wanted to put you in danger, and..." he added, turning to Jacqueline, "I never wanted to hurt you either, sweet."

Jacqueline rose from her seat to give her husband a kiss.

"It's okay," Rose forgave her father. "We'll figure this out."

The day passed quickly, and Rose was happy to be in a soft bed at the end of the day. But her dreams were once again tormented by Marina. "Princess," she said to Rose. "Why do you want your family to die?"

"This isn't real!" Rose yelled. "This is a dream."

"You cannot fight the inevitable. Join me. You know how to find me. Your feet will guide the way. You are _my_ daughter, not theirs. Come home, Rose."

"I am not your daughter. I will _never_ be your daughter! Leave us alone."

"I'll attack them in their sleep, Rose. They'll all be dead when the sun rises if you do not leave tonight."

"What? You couldn't."

"Do you want to take that chance? I have eyes everywhere, Rose, and I will do it."

Rose's heart pounded so hard that she feared it may burst out of her chest at any moment. "This isn't real," she repeated softly.

"When are you going to figure out that this _is_ real? Maybe when everyone you love is dead." An evil grin appeared on her face just then. "You should know that I have your aunts." Rose gawked at her, causing the witch to roar with laughter. "I know you're searching for them," she continued, "but you'll never find them if you don't cooperate. Leave tonight, and I won't kill them."

Thoughts raced through Rose's mind. _This feels real. What if this is real? I can't let her hurt anyone_. "Okay," she surrendered. "I'll leave tonight."

Marina laughed triumphantly. "Wise decision, dear. See you soon."

With that, Rose awoke in her bed. Frightened and anxious, she packed a few things in a small bag and snuck out of the castle. She left a vague note on her pillow letting her family know that she was leaving, and she requested that they not follow her.

She didn't know where to find Marina. "_Your feet will guide the way_," she remembered her saying. So she just started walking. _Marina can find me if she really wants to_, she thought. She didn't stop to rest until well after the sun had risen, and she was extremely fatigued. "It has to be noon by now," she said aloud to herself, gazing into the sky. Taking a seat, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to think. The forest was quiet apart from a few birds singing to each other. Feeling overwhelmed and frightened, tears suddenly began spilling from her eyes. But her tears dried abruptly when she heard a new song. A woman. The voice drew nearer to her, so she cautiously pulled a dagger from her pack, sitting still and silent. _Marina?_

Just then, a young woman about Rose's age pushed through some brush and dropped a basket full of berries she was carrying. Her pale skin appeared even paler against her midnight black hair. Her brown eyes were filled with fear, and she gasped in terror as her eyes fixed on the dagger in Rose's hand. "Please don't kill me!" she begged, falling to her knees.

Rose knew immediately that the girl wasn't a threat. "Who are you?" she asked, placing her dagger back in her pack.

"Uh," the girl replied, sounding unsure of herself, "my name is Bianca."

"Bianca? Queen Estelle's daughter?" she asked.

"Step-daughter, yes."

Rose remembered the significance Estelle had placed on the title. "Right, step-daughter. What are you doing out here? Have I really walked that far already?"

"You're not in her kingdom, if that's what you're asking."

Rose took notice of the tattered clothing Bianca was wearing. "What are you doing out here?" she asked again. "How long have been in the woods?"

"Please don't tell anyone!" Bianca sounded frightened. "If she finds out where I am, she'll have me killed."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you're here as long as you don't tell anyone that you saw me." Rose decided that she could trust Bianca. "My name is Rose."

Bianca nodded with a look of complete comprehension. "Oh, Princess Rose. Would you like me to take you somewhere safe? Some kind men have taken me into their home, offering me protection against my step-mother."

Suddenly it dawned on Rose that Bianca's story seemed very familiar. _She's_ _Snow White! _"Yes, please," she agreed heartily. "Then maybe you and I can talk."


	7. Chapter 7

**Firstly, let me give a shout-out to curiousreader7 for being my newest reviewer! Thank you, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thank you also to those that are reading, following, and favoriting!**

**Secondly, I feel like I should post some kind of warning for this chapter. It ends with some violence... Just in case any of you have a sensitive disposition regarding that sort of stuff.**

* * *

Bianca led Rose through the forest. As they walked, Rose began to notice the foliage changing. At first, everything was as normal as any other forest she'd been to, but as they went deeper into the woods, there were fewer animals, fewer sounds of life, and the plant life grew gray and deathly looking. "Are you sure it's safe to be here?" Rose asked warily.

Bianca spun toward her with a curious expression. Then she observed Rose staring at a patch of charcoal colored flowers. "Oh!" she laughed. "Don't worry. It gets prettier again. My friends live out here because no one will travel into this part of the forest. It's safe, it just doesn't _appear_ that way." She winked, and Rose felt better.

Sure enough, a few minutes later the forest had returned to normal in all its colorful splendor. Bianca led Rose to a large cottage set in a small clearing. Inside, she was surprised to find everything was a normal size. "I thought you lived with dwarves," she wondered aloud.

Offering Rose another curious look, Bianca asked, "Why would you think that? I never said I lived with dwarves."

"Oh, I don't know. I just assumed." Rose blushed in embarrassment. "So where is everyone?" she asked.

"They're in town trading some of their goods in the market," Bianca explained. "They probably won't be back until later tonight. I try to have supper ready for them when they come home."

"I'll help you," Rose offered.

"Thanks. I'd love some help. Cooking for four grown men can be quite a task."

"Do you think they'll mind if I stay the night? I feel like I haven't slept for days. I wouldn't be any trouble, and I'll be leaving tomorrow anyway."

"Where are you going?"

Rose trusted Bianca, but she couldn't tell her she was planning on going to Marina. She decided to change the subject instead. "Did you run away from Estelle?"

Bianca's eyes fell to the floor dismally. "Estelle wants me dead. I was there the day you and your friends visited her. Her guard helped me escape while you were all talking. I ended up here somehow, and I've been here ever since."

"Why does she want you dead?"

"I don't know," Bianca shrugged, her eyes welling with tears. "We used to get along so well. We loved each other just like a mother and daughter should. When my father died, we became closer than ever. Then one day, she just... snapped."

Rose's instinct was to believe Estelle's change of heart was for the same reasons she changed in the fairy tale. _Magic mirrors, jealousy, insanity, poison apples..._

"She's helping Marina, you know," Bianca said softly.

Rose nodded. "I had a bad feeling around Estelle the day we visited her, and I worried she may have joined Marina. You just confirmed it."

"Why are you alone now? Where are your friends?"

"I had to leave them to keep them safe. Even if Marina finds me, at least they won't get hurt."

"You _can't_ let Marina find you," Bianca said with a sense of urgency. "I know her plan, or at least some of it, and if she finds you, we're all doomed."

"Tell me what you know," Rose said anxiously.

"Marina gave my step-mother her talisman to the other world. She's gone to every corner of the world collecting her army; many of them are close enemies of other royal families."

"Like the sea serpent in Calder's Sea?" Rose asked.

Bianca nodded, then she continued, "You're the final piece of her plan, but I'm not sure what you have to do with it all. I figured it was just to make it more personal for your father. I heard about their love affair when they were younger." She blushed, almost ashamedly, at her last comment.

Rose suddenly realized that running away like Marina wanted wasn't going to help anyone or anything. "Bianca, I have to go back home. I need to tell my father about this. You can come with me if you want."

"I don't know, Rose," she replied apprehensively. "I'm safe here. I don't want Estelle to find me. Let me think about it, and I'll let you know by tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Rose agreed.

"How about we start making dinner now?"

Rose hadn't prepared so much food for such a small group of people before. By the time they were finished cooking, the table was set like it was Thanksgiving. "Don't you think this is too much food, Bianca?"

"No, they'll eat it," Bianca laughed. "They'll eat it _all_! Trust me." Moments later, Rose heard boisterous laughter and men's voices outside. Bianca excitedly rushed out the front door to greet them.

"Hi, Bianca! Something sure smells good tonight," a deep voice responded.

"I had help," she said, poking her head back through the front door. She gestured with her hands for Rose to join her outside. Four men were walking toward the house carrying large satchels. Rose could tell by their expressions that they were not pleased to see her.

"Who's this?" the man with the deep voice asked Bianca. He was tall, dark-skinned, and very muscular.

"This is Rose. She's in trouble like me. I hope you don't mind, but I invited her to stay with us tonight," Bianca explained.

"_Princess_ Rose?" one of the other men clarified.

"Yes," Rose confirmed meekly.

"She's on her way back home," Bianca added.

"We'd be glad to have her stay," answered a third man. "Anything to keep her safe from Marina."

Inside, each of the men introduced themselves to Rose as they sat around the dinner table. The burly man with the deep voice was named Dante. Another man, George, was the quietest of them all and had his dark blond hair pulled back in a short ponytail. Raj was tall and built similarly to Dante, with black hair and caramel colored skin. The last to introduce himself was the bronze-skinned and auburn haired, Lance, whom Rose predicted was the leader based on the way he spoke and behaved.

"And you're Princess Rose," commented Lance.

"You can just call me Rose," she said. "Thank you for taking me into your home like this."

"Rose," Lance began casually, "what are you doing out here by yourself? I thought you had friends with you, at least that's what Bianca told us."

"Well, it's kind of a long story. I just didn't want them to get hurt. But after speaking to Bianca, I need to get back as soon as possible to warn everyone," she explained. "I offered to take Bianca with me, if she'd like. She'd be safe with my family."

Raj spoke up next, "I think we should all go. It's not safe for you to travel alone, and if there's going to be a war, I want to be a part of it."

Lance nodded. "I agree."

Rose noticed Bianca shifting uncomfortably in her seat, so she smiled at her reassuringly until it seemed she'd calmed down.

The rest of the evening flew by, and soon it was time for them to go to bed. Bianca led Rose to a loft area similar to the one in her aunts' cottage. "This is where Lance normally sleeps," Bianca informed her, "but he lets me sleep here now. I hope you don't mind, but you and I will have to share the bed."

"I don't mind."

Bianca fell asleep almost immediately, but Rose had too much on her mind. She worried about her family, especially Aunt Clarice and Aunt Cadence. _I should have never left home_, she scolded herself. _I should have just told someone about my dream_. Her heart ached with the uncertainty of whether or not anyone she cared about would be harmed. Finally, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.

The six of them hurried the next morning preparing to leave the cottage, but not before George made himself a cup of coffee with what looked like two whole cups of sugar.

Rose's new companions moved through the forest without any difficulty. She was particularly pleased when they exited the dreary part of the forest.

Bianca broke a long period of silence. "So what is it like in the other world?" she asked Rose with a grin.

Rose shrugged. "I don't know. I grew up there, so it isn't anything fantastical like here."

Bianca laughed, "Fantastical? Here? What are you talking about?"

"Where I'm from, places like this would only be heard of in stories. Magic, fairies, witches, mermaids, none of it is real. Sometimes I feel like this is all just a dream, and I think I'll wake up in my bed at any moment."

"Strange," Bianca whispers.

"Bianca, I hope you don't mind my asking, but what happened to your step-mother? When did she start hating you all of a sudden?"

"I was twelve when she married my father. She was kind, it was obvious that she loved him, and she and I grew close very quickly. When he died, I thought she wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore, but she only seemed to love me more." After a short pause, Bianca continued, "About two years ago, she and I were discussing possible husbands for me, and everything seemed fine. But one day, her attitude changed completely. She told me that I was too horrid, and no man would ever accept me as his wife. She ignored me for while, only growing angry with me when I was in the same room with her, but her moodiness became progressively worse. Suddenly it wasn't enough for her to avoid me, she had to lock me up in my room. When the guard rescued me, he told me that she was planning on killing me."

Dante scoffed, "Psycho," under his breath.

The other men nodded in concurrence.

They arrived in Anthony's kingdom late in the day, and everyone was in a frenzy. Rose apologized again and again to her family and friends. Madeleine had returned, so it felt to Rose as though she had two mothers scolding and loving her at the same time. Phillip also chided her for making him worry, and he too couldn't stop embracing her, thankful that she was okay.

In spite of their anger, everyone was interested in meeting Bianca and her temporary hosts, though they were dismayed upon hearing of Estelle's betrayal. "Thankfully, everyone has agreed to fight with us," Anthony announced. "Madeleine and the others were successful in gathering more forces."

That evening, Rose slumped into bed. "Maybe tonight..." she whispered hopefully to herself. "Maybe tonight I'll actually sleep well." Unfortunately, Marina haunted her dreams once more.

Marina stood in front of Rose, waving her finger back and forth like a scolding mother. "You didn't listen to me, Rose. Now I'm going to have to do something bad."

Rose closed her eyes and repeated, "Wake up, wake up, wake up! This isn't real."

"Oh, this is real. And you've just made a huge mistake." She waved her wand producing a black cloud, and Cadence appeared between them. She looked beaten and bruised, bloody remnants of her torn wings swelled on her back.

"Aunt Cadence!" Rose shouted. She took a step forward, but Marina stopped her.

"You did this to her, Rose!" she snarled.

"Rose." Cadence's tone was calm, and she smiled at her beloved niece. "I'm so proud of you, baby girl. Don't do anything she tells you to do. No matter what happens, you just stay away from her. I love you."

"I love you," Rose whimpered.

Marina grinned maliciously as her wand transformed into a sword, and she thrust it into Cadence's back, pressing on it until it passed through her chest.

"No!" Rose sobbed. "No, no, no!" She hurried to Cadence's side, tumbling to the ground as she did so. "This isn't real, this isn't real," she murmured, pressing her aunt's cold hand to her cheek.

Marina didn't say another word to Rose. She simply stared at the young woman as she sobbed quietly beside her loved one.

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**Hope that wasn't too bad for you. And I hope you like what little you've seen of Lance and the other guys; there will be more of them to come!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Brimo, wow! Thank you for that review. It was so flattering that I decided to post one more chapter this week! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope all my other readers are as well. :-)**

* * *

Rose awoke in tears and gasping for breath. _It felt so real_, she thought. She ran to her window and opened the curtains. "Still dark," she whispered to herself. _It doesn't matter. I have to tell Aunt Madeleine right now_.

"Don't worry, Rose," Madeleine assured her while stroking her hair. "Marina cannot get into your head like that. You're just afraid for Cadence and Clarice since we haven't heard from them."

"Okay," Rose said quietly, but she still wasn't convinced. The sun was beginning to rise, but Rose wanted some time to herself before the rest of the castle woke up, so she decided to take a walk. She took a book from one of the shelves in her bedroom, not even glancing the title, and ventured into the woods just beyond the castle.

The forest was peaceful, and Rose was glad to be able to collect her thoughts. She closed her eyes as a slight breeze brushed her blond hair behind her shoulders. She inhaled the sweet-smelling grass speckled with morning dew. Her ear caught the sound of trickling water, and she followed the sound until she reached the end of a brook emptying into a pond. Sitting on its bank, she pulled the book out of her robe pocket. The tile read, _Fairy Kin_. Detailed illustrations filled the book along with several pages describing the fairy kingdom, their powers, holidays and important people in their history. Skimming through the pages, she stopped and flipped back when she thought she recognized faces in a portrait. Studying the picture, it was a group of people standing side by side, smiling happily together. In it, a man and woman stood holding hands, and beside them were two younger adults, maybe even her age, turned toward each other and laughing. Her assumptions were confirmed when she saw the footnote below. _Harvest Festival. Pictured L to R: King Reece Longfellow, Queen Lily, Princess Marina and Prince Anthony [Woodside Kingdom]_. The blond teenaged boy was her father, and the dark-haired beauty he was laughing with was Marina. "They really did look happy together," she said.

Suddenly, there were voices nearby, so she scurried toward a large bush to hide. Peeking through the brush, she watched as two goblin-like creatures (the same as the one she saw on the way to Calder's Sea) passed without noticing her and dragged a dead deer behind them. "Venison stew," one said cheerfully.

"One of Marina's favorites. She'll be pleased with us today," the other man added.

"None for that pixie!" the first one scowled.

As the second man began to respond, Rose suddenly lost sight of them. They simply vanished into thin air. She carefully crawled toward the spot where she had seen them disappear. Then, standing, she spun around in search of... _In search of what?_ she wondered. She didn't know anything about real magic. She held her hands out in front of her, waving them around, feeling for some sort of hidden door, when her arms suddenly became invisible. Frightened, she pulled them back and held her hands against her chest. Slowly, she reached out again, this time not pulling away as the disappeared. Taking two steps forward, it was as though she had stepped into yet another world. An entire city appeared before her eyes. She quickly found a large barrel to hide behind before anyone saw her.

People passed, many of whom were dressed in the familiar dark uniforms she had seen on Marina's henchmen before, there were more yellow-eyed monsters, and several more creatures she had no clue as to what they were. Wrapping her head around the barrel, she was able to see slightly more of the city. At the northernmost end was a castle that towered over the whole place. _That must be where we'll find Marina_, Rose guessed.

When the opportunity came, Rose snuck back into the woods and ran back to the castle. She burst into Madeleine's room and saw her mother chatting with her. "Rose? Why are out of breath?" Jacqueline asked.

Panting, she exclaimed, "You will not believe what I just saw!"

"What?" Madeleine inquired.

"I was walking through the woods, and I saw these... these things, and I followed them. I heard them talking about Marina. Then they disappeared, so I disappeared. And I went through some kind of invisible wall hiding a huge city in the forest! It's Marina's hideout. Right here... in our own forest!"

"Are you sure?" Jacqueline asked.

"I'm sure. Definitely sure. Nobody saw me, but it goes on for miles. I saw her castle."

"I don't believe this," said Madeleine. "Take me to it."

Less than an hour later, Rose led Madeleine, Phillip, her father and Lance to Marina's hideout. She followed the brook back to the small pond, and spread her arms out in front of her like she had before. Everyone gasped as her arms disappeared, but she moved her finger in front of her lips, instructing them to stay quiet.

Before entering the hidden city, Anthony gave orders. "Madeleine and Phillip, you come with me to scope the city. Lance and Rose, you two stay out here as lookouts."

Rose waited nervously after her loved ones crossed the invisible wall. She and Lance remained quiet and vigilant. "Rose!" Lance suddenly cried. She hardly had a moment to react before he pushed her hard to the ground. Looking up quickly, she saw Lance standing with his back toward her, and lying in front of him was a man she didn't know. His rugged appearance reminded Rose of gypsies she read about in stories.

He angrily lifted his head, and when he saw Lance, his eyes widened in shock. "Lance?"

"Red?" Lance asked, sounding just as shocked.

"What are you doing back here?" Red snarled. "And who's the girl?"

"Why are you attacking innocent people, Red?" asked Lance accusatorily.

Rose was beginning to grow frustrated and afraid. "How do you two know each other?"

Lance sighed and hesitated before answering, "This... is my brother, Red."

"Your _brother_?" Rose turned to Red with disgust. "Why is he trying to kill me? Have you sided with Marina?"

Red guffawed, "I'm not on anyone's side, girl. I'm just trying to care for my family."

"By murdering?" Lance growled.

"Whatever I need to do, _brother_."

It was then that the others reappeared from the hidden city. They seemed confused as they examined the ongoing scene. Phillip stepped beside Lance, blocking Rose protectively, while Anthony and Madeleine positioned themselves around Red, ensuring he couldn't run away.

Red sighed, defeated. "What are you going to do to me, brother?"

"What?" Anthony and Phillip asked in unison.

"This is my brother," Lance explained briefly. "He just tried to attack Rose. He holds no allegiance to Marina," he added.

"Then explain yourself," demanded Anthony.

"A lot of bad people pass through here, and I don't want anyone near my family. A lot of my people have been killed lately."

"Bad people?" asked Phillip.

"Yeah, you saw it. I know you did. You just came out of the city. Criminals live in there."

"If you knew about this place, why didn't you bring this information forward?" wondered Anthony. His tone was saturated with betrayal.

"Because not even _good_ people take kindly to my kind. We avoid everyone to stay safe. And as I said to the girl, we don't hold allegiances, not even with you."

"What exactly is _your_ kind?" asked Rose curiously.

Lance sighed once more before answering, "We're wardes."

Everyone except Rose stared at the two men in shock, and Madeleine turned away ashamedly. "What are wardes?" Rose asked.

"Why don't you ask your precious fairy?" mocked Red.

Madeleine stared at the ground as she spoke. "Wardes are creatures originally from the fairy world. They acted on behalf of fairies, protecting our lands and creatures. They used to have magical qualities, the same as fairies, but..." She closed her eyes tightly before continuing. "A large number of fairies began questioning their usefulness, and many claimed that wardes had begun turning on us. Our king knew they were lying, but then the riots began, so he had no choice but to banish the wardes from our kingdom, and he took away their abilities as well."

Red chuckled angrily, "That's right. You sent us into a world that hated us because of your lies, and you left us without any way of defending ourselves."

"There were fairies that supported us, Red. You know that. The king was only trying to control the rioters and protect his people," argued Lance.

"Then he should have done that rather than let them control him. Rather than essentially sending thousands of innocent people to their deaths, or to live out their lives in fear and hiding."

"Will you accept my deepest apology?" asked Madeleine, barely managing to look Red and Lance in the eyes.

"You did nothing wrong, fairy," said Lance.

"I'll never forgive the fairies," muttered Red, and Lance glared at his brother, but Red only glared back at him. Then his lips morphed into a smile as though he suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Marina is a descendent of the monster that did this to us, right? It seems her entire family is composed of nothing but evildoers. I won't forgive you, but I'll agree to join you, if it means I may get to kill her."

"Thank you," whispers Madeleine humbly.

Red took his leave after agreeing to bring other wardes willing to fight with them. The others returned to the castle. Madeleine and several other fairies flew to spread the news of Marina's hideout. Their message included asking each kingdom to begin sending their troops. It was time for war.

* * *

**Getting _very_ close to some action, more romance, and sadly, some tragedy.**


	9. Chapter 9

Red returned several days later with about one hundred men and women willing to fight alongside Anthony and his kingdom. The messenger fairies also returned, explaining that each kingdom would begin sending troops immediately.

King Anthony worried over Marina's hidden city constantly. He feared that attacking with so little knowledge of it could be a detrimental weakness for his soldiers. "I think we should send in spies to explore the area," he suggested. "We'd need to send in people she wouldn't recognize."

Lance and Red volunteered for the job.

"We want to attack as soon as possible - just as soon as all the troops have arrived," explained Anthony. "We want to keep our edge on Marina."

"What did you have in mind for us?" Lance asked.

Phillip answered, "Madeleine will disguise you as soldiers in Marina's army. We need you to search as much of her city as possible - its layout, its population, the army, their weapons, their resources, and if you can, find out about Marina too. But," he added firmly, staring at Red, "do _not _attack her. You need to remain anonymous."

"Done," confirmed Lance. "When do we go?"

"Tonight."

Madeleine waved her wand, blanketing Lance and Red with a blue cloud until their clothing had transformed into the black uniforms Marina's soldiers often donned. When evening fell, they set out to tackle their mission.

Bianca, along with George, Raj and Dante, couldn't sleep while their friend was risking his life. Rose and Phillip stayed awake with them, hoping to ease their anxiousness, but it had little effect. "It's okay," Bianca told them. "You two can go to bed."

"If you say so," Rose agreed, but she knew she wouldn't sleep. Instead, she and Phillip strolled through the castle corridors, admiring paintings and statues that he described to her.

"And who is this?" she asked, pointing to a portrait of a beautiful woman with long dark hair and beautiful sea-blue eyes.

"This is one of your mother's ancestors. She became known as 'Hesper the Unfortunate Fortunate.'"

Rose grinned and cocked an eyebrow curiously. "That's... an interesting title," she chuckled. "Tell me about her."

"Hesper endured many misfortunes in her life, and she always lamented them, but someone that cared for her told her that good often comes from misfortune, and that was the case with Hesper. Anything she suffered, later changed into blessings two-fold. She was a wonderful queen, and revered around the world."

Rose was proud to have been born into such a respected family. "I hope I can live up to her history," she whispered.

Phillip gently tugged at her chin so their eyes met. "You will, Rose," he smiled, and he tipped his head to kiss her.

"They're back!" Bianca shouted down the hall at them suddenly.

Rose and Phillip glanced at each other momentarily before chasing after Bianca down the hall. Inside Anthony's meeting room, Lance and Red gave their reports, and everyone listened intently. "The city is huge," Lance started. "Red and I split up to cover more ground. I moved north and searched Marina's palace, and Red roamed as much of the city that he could."

"What did you find in Marina's palace?" Rose spoke up.

Lance scoffed, "You can hardly call that place a palace. It's dark, cold, and it reeks of death. It functions more like a prison and torture chamber. There are dead bodies laying everywhere. They just leave them on the ground!"

Anthony spoke next, "Did you see Marina? Do you know where we'll find her?"

Lance continued, "There were too many rooms to search every one, and most of them looked empty anyway. I didn't want to stay there too long in case somebody saw me."

"Thank you," said Anthony. "And Red, what about your findings?"

"The population is larger than it appears. We'll need every man and woman here to fight with us, that's for sure. I also found two large bunkers filled with weapons. Some of them I've never seen before. I was able to sketch one of them; I thought maybe they were from the other world. Here," he said, handing a piece of paper to Rose and Madeleine.

The women didn't need to study the drawing to know immediately what it was. "A gun," said Rose.

Madeleine's eyes widened as she breathed, "Marina's brought their weapons here?"

"Tell us about these weapons," said Anthony.

"These types of weapons can kill a person easily and with great accuracy, even from long distances. They're very advanced. More so than anything we have here, apart from magic," Madeleine explained.

"Could you use magic to replicate these weapons?" asked Phillip.

"I don't think so. I doubt Marina used magic to create them either."

"I think she used her talisman to travel to the other world," Bianca supposed. "Then she probably transported them here. She gave the talisman to my step-mother recently, but I'm not sure what she wanted her to do with it."

"You did well, gentlemen," Anthony commended. "Let's continue this debriefing tomorrow morning if there is anything else to report. For now, let's all rest."

During the next several days, troops arrived in droves from all the other kingdoms. Rose saw some familiar faces among the soldiers. Peter was one of the first she recognized. "Peter, you're not going to fight, are you?" Rose asked him, offering her friend a hug.

"Why wouldn't I? You and Phillip intend on fighting, right?" he grinned.

Rose nodded. Then she wondered about another friend. "How is Dalis?"

Peter blushed. "She's doing well, I suppose. She's a wild child. Calder has had to send her back multiple times because she keeps running away. I think it's because of me."

"Why don't you talk to her?"

"I've tried! But she won't come near me. I don't know what to do."

"Keep trying with Dalis," suggested Phillip. He glanced at Rose before adding, "And keep trying to speak to your parents. Dalis is a princess after all. If the two of you feel strongly about each other, they might be persuaded to give you two a chance."

Rose smiled.

"Thank you," said Peter.

King Calder also arrived with a large number of soldiers. "We will do our best to assist," he told Anthony, "but this is the first time any of my people have had legs. I'm afraid we won't be formidable opponents on land."

"I'm grateful for you being here anyway," thanked Anthony.

More and more armies migrated into their kingdom, until there were no more to be sent. Then it was ordered that the ambush would take place the following day. Tensions rose, and Rose could feel her stomach twist and turn with each passing hour. _This is actually happening_, she thought. _I could die tomorrow. All of these people could die tomorrow_.

In spite of everyone's efforts to dissuade her, Rose insisted on participating in the ambush. "My aunts are in there, and I will not stay behind while my loved ones risk their lives."

"Then I'm not letting you out of my sight," said Phillip. Madeleine concurred.

The time soon arrived for the attack to commence, and thousands of people stood ready just beyond Marina's invisible wall. Rose swallowed hard as her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. She, Phillip, Madeleine, Lance and the other three wardes would make their way quickly toward the palace in search of Marina before the outbreak of battle.

Red led several members he recruited toward the bunkers, hoping to confiscate as many other world weapons as they could. The rest of the army would attack unsuspecting citizens in Marina's hidden city before their presence was discovered.

Rose and her party were given a ten minute head start. The streets were dark and quiet, not a soul in sight. Rose felt hopeful. _Maybe this will work. Maybe it will all be okay_. Her breathing quickened the closer they drew to Marina's castle. The streets were still quiet. Her stomach weakened, and her throat tightened as though she might retch. _It will all be okay_. The air was cool, but her skin felt hot, and she clenched her hands to stop them from trembling. Still, the people slept, not noticing what was happening. _Heart, calm down_. She listened to her comrades' heavy breathing in the darkness, their rushed footsteps loud against the hard ground.

It was then that the city awoke in a sudden uproar.

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**Nearing the end! As always, friends, thank you for reading.**


	10. Chapter 10

Rose fought the temptation to peer behind her where the action was taking place. Shouts and cries of anguish filled the air. "Keep running!" Phillip ordered the group. This helped her focus on the task ahead of them. _Forward_, she thought. Within moments, Marina's followers poured out of every building, and the party struggled to remain unseen, but by some kind of miracle they managed it.

Finally making it to the palace steps, to their surprise, there were no guards watching the castle. "I told you it was empty," commented Lance.

They opened the doors easily and entered the front room. Like Lance had described, it was dingy and dark with several dead bodies lying all over the floor. Rose examined the room a moment before realizing she had been there before. She took in a deep breath and held it in her now burning chest. Tears stung her eyes as she made her way to the center of the room where a dead body stared up at her. Cadence's body. "No," she gasped, collapsing on the floor beside her beloved aunt. "It wasn't a dream."

"What is it, Rose?" Madeleine whispered. Stepping forward, her mouth gaped when she saw her sibling, and she knelt alongside Rose. "Cadence," she sobbed, gently caressing a few strands of her hair in her hand. "No, baby sister."

Phillip joined them on the cold stone floor and wrapped Rose in his arms. "I'm so sorry," he spoke softly. "Her body will return home with us today, but right now we need to find Marina."

"He's right," Madeleine sniffled. "Let's split up to find Marina. If anyone finds her, kill her. She's too dangerous to keep alive as a prisoner. Phillip and I will stay with Rose. The rest of you should disperse however you feel most comfortable."

The wardes nodded to Madeleine and to each other, breaking into groups of two without a word as though it were their normal routine. Lance left with Dante, and Raj left with George.

Rose, Phillip and Madeleine continued deeper into the castle. It seemed so strange to Rose, to have no one at all guarding any part of the castle. _Maybe Marina isn't here_, she wondered. Each hall seemed quieter than the last. Phillip and Rose had their swords drawn in the event they were attacked, and Madeleine kept her wand at the ready.

Soon they came to an exit. It led to a sturdy stone bridge attached to a keep. "Could she be in the tower?" asked Rose.

They swiftly exchanged glances, but no one answered specifically. The trio then marched across the bridge toward the keep.

They cautiously ascended an upward moving spiral staircase. They passed a window, and Rose froze as she glimpsed the scene outside. _People are dying_, she worried. Phillip placed his hand on her shoulder, gently nudging her onward. They came to a door at the stop of the stairway, and Rose jumped after opening it, seeing Clarice tied to a chair inside. "Aunt Clarice? You're alive!" she cheered.

"Don't, Rose! It's a trap!" Clarice warned, but it was too late. The door slammed behind her and Madeleine, and Marina blocked their only exit.

Phillip was still locked on the stair. Pounding on the door with all his strength, he bellowed, "Rose! Rose!"

Madeleine made to attack, but Marina was too quick. With only a nod, she manipulated a statue, causing it to whip its great arm. It struck Madeleine's head and slammed her against the wall, leaving her an unconscious heap on the floor.

"No!" Rose and Clarice shouted simultaneously.

Marina laughed a victorious cackle that lasted several seconds. "I told you your feet would lead the way, Rose," she hummed. "Thank you for making this so easy."

"I am not going to make this easy," growled Rose, wielding her sword in front of her.

Marina laughed boisterously again. "You can't kill me dear. It was supposed to happen this way. It isn't your fault, that's just how it is."

Rose maintained her readied stance, prepared for whatever Marina came at her with. Phillip still called out her name and beat on the door, while Marina watched her, amused by the situation. Suddenly, Clarice shrieked in agony, squirming in her chair against the restraints. "Aunt Clarice?" Rose turned to see Marina boasting a snarled grin. "Stop! Stop it!" she screamed at the witch.

Marina stopped torturing Clarice momentarily, her evil smile lingering on her lips. "Do you see that vial, Rose?" she asked, pointing to a small table in the room. Rose's eyes darted to a small glass tube filled with a black liquid. Marina continued, "Good. I want you to drink it."

"No, Rose! It will kill you!" Clarice begged.

Marina's voice was calm. "If you don't drink it, I'll kill her. Then I'll kill her," she added, gesturing toward Madeleine's fallen body. "And I'll kill your precious husband as well."

Rose's chest heaved, but it still somehow felt as though she were suffocating.

"You don't want to make the same mistake that you made with Cadence," Marina warned. "Oh! Did you say hi to her downstairs?" she grinned.

Rose felt her expression somber, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Clarice whimpered too, grief-stricken over the loss of her twin.

"What will it be, Rose? The decision is yours."

"Rose? Rose!" It was Phillip again. "Don't do anything she says. I don't care what she tells you. Don't listen to her!"

Marina laughed hysterically as Phillip continued his futile attempt to beat down the door. Then, growing suddenly annoyed, Marina uttered a simple command. "Get him."

A shadow peeled off the wall and slid through the crack under the door. Rose heard Phillip cry out as the shadow attacked him on the other side. "Phillip!" she called, but he was too occupied to respond.

"You can end this, Rose," Marina urged. "He won't defeat my specter," she added.

Any hope Rose had quickly dwindled down to nothing, so she surrendered. "I'll do it!" she cried. "Just please... stop."

Marina waved her hand, and Rose heard Phillip's struggle abruptly end. He instantly began pounding on the door again. "Drink it," Marina ordered, ignoring Phillip.

Rose stepped toward the table, carefully picking up the vial.

"No, Rose!" begged Clarice. "Please, baby girl. Don't..."

Rose's face contorted sadly, and her tears fell like waterfalls. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I can't let you die. I love you." With that, she put the vial to her lips and drank its contents in a single gulp. Rose clasped her neck with both hands as the poison travelled through her veins, constricting her breathing; then she fell lifeless to the floor at Clarice's feet.

Marina jumped and clapped like a giddy child. "I win, I win!"

The door swung open, causing Phillip to topple inside. He rushed to Rose's body on the floor, cradling her head in his lap. "Rose, no." He stroked her forehead with his hand. Marina released Clarice, and so she joined Phillip on the floor.

As they held Rose and grieved, Marina said in almost a whisper, "Wake up." Rose's frozen eyes began to blink rapidly, and her irises changed from blue to black, finally settling on a color somewhere in-between.

Phillip and Clarice helped her sit upright, and they stared at her in amazement. "Rose? You're alright?" Phillip asked.

Rose grinned. "I've never felt better," she answered. Pushing away from them, she rose to her feet and joined Marina.

"Things are as they should be," Marina sighed contentedly.

"What have you done to her?" Phillip asked furiously.

"I've made her better. Together, she and I will rule everything. Won't we darling?" Marina cooed, brushing a strand of Rose's blonde hair behind her ear.

Rose merely smiled in reply.

"Let's go find Declan," said Marina.

A set of black, silver-lined wings spread from Rose's back, and she lifted Marina, taking her out the only window in the tower.

"Rose!" Phillip cried, scrambling to reach her. "Please come back! I love you."

But she did not acknowledge him, nor did she move to come back.

The wardes rushed into the room just in time to see Rose flutter outside. Phillip sank to the floor, staring out the open window, speechless. Madeleine awoke just then, and Clarice helped her sister stable herself. "What happened?" she asked, staring at Phillip. Her eyes darted around the room. "Where's Rose?" her voice quivered.

Phillip stared at his hands, not even glancing at the worried fairy, so Clarice fought back sobs to inform her sister of their niece's fate. "Marina- She- Rose drank a potion full of dark magic, and... she... left with her. Rose is with Marina."

"No," Madeleine gasped.

"Where did they go?" asked Lance urgently.

"I don't know. Marina said they were going to find her son," said Clarice.

Dante knelt beside the tormented Phillip as he sat motionless beside the window. "Are you going to be okay, sir?"

Phillip only moved his red, teary eyes toward the man. They were frozen wide with shock. The prince opened his mouth to speak, but he was silent. Slowly, he dropped his head into his hands.

"This fight isn't over," Lance announced. "We'll get her back. We'll win this war." Turning to the door, he motioned for Raj and Date to assist the wounded fairies. Clarice welcomed Raj's gentle grasp, but Madeleine insisted she was fine. "Let's go tell Anthony. He'll be with Red." Offering Phillip a firm yet sympathetic stare, Lance said, "Prince Phillip, we need to go."

Phillip nodded in understanding, but his stunned expression never faded from his countenance.

As they descended the spiral stairway, they noticed the city no longer blared with the sounds of battle. The castle was empty, the same as it had been when they entered. Dante lifted Cadence's discolored, yet somehow lovely corpse off the cold ground to be taken back home for a proper goodbye.

Phillip staggered forward like a zombie as he stared straight ahead. It wasn't until Peter had called his name multiple times and stood directly in his path that he even noticed him. "Phillip? Are you okay? Where's Rose?"

He shook his head slightly, new tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "I've lost her again, Peter," he whispered.

"She's dead?" asked Peter in alarm.

Phillip shook his head again. "Marina took her."

"Well, we'll get her back." Peter's tone was adamant.

"I don't even know where to begin looking," said Phillip wearily. He scanned the area outside the palace. The only souls wandering the streets were those from Anthony's army. The only soldiers left of Marina's were the ones that had perished during the battle. "What happened?" he asked Peter.

"A few minutes ago, they all just disappeared. We don't know where they went. We thought they had surrendered."

Phillip turned his tired eyes toward the now rising sun. "I've lost everything. She took everything from me. My parents, my kingdom, and now Rose," he whispered dismally.

Peter reassuringly grasped Phillip's shoulder. "We'll find them all, Phillip. You'll have your life back. I promise you that."

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**Rose may be gone, but the story isn't over quite yet!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for the reviews! Sorry for making your stomachs wrench in the last chapter, but sometimes it's fun to add a little angst, right? :-)**

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Anthony paced the floor of his meeting room while Phillip sat silently at a long table with Madeleine, Peter, Calder and many other kingdom and military figureheads. Lance and Red leaned against the walls with other wardes and fairies. "What did she do to her, Madeleine?" Anthony asked, his tone unintentionally harsh.

"Clarice said she drank a vial of dark magic, Your Highness. It could have been anything. I'll have to do some research."

"Well, get started right away. Do we have any idea of where they will go? Did Marina say anything other than they were going to find her son?"

"No, sir," answered Madeleine again.

"Phillip?" Anthony blared. "Any words?"

Phillip shook his head forlornly. "No, Your Majesty," he whispered.

Sighing, Anthony took his seat at the head of the table, placing his head in his palms. "Thank you," he said finally, glancing up at the eyes watching him. "Thank you for the sacrifices you've made for my family and for my kingdom. You fought valiantly. Marina has abandoned her hidden fortress, making my kingdom that much safer. Please stay as long as you need to in order to recuperate." After a short pause, the king continued, "Marina is sure to counterattack, so please, all of you, be on high alert for notices from me regarding future plans of attack. I apologize profusely for any trouble I may have gotten you into -"

"You did no such thing," interrupted Calder. "Marina would have attacked us one way or another. We're not fighting for the sole purpose of assisting you; we're doing it for our own protection as well."

"Yes, of course. Thank you," said Anthony. "Anyway, I wish you all safe journeys home when you are ready to take your leave. If you'll excuse me." Moments after Anthony's departure, the crowded room dispersed.

Cadence's body was put to rest the following day. The day seemed to ignore recent tragedies by boasting a beautiful blue sky and bright sunbeams that warmed the mourners' skin. Madeleine conjured a pink flower in her hand and placed it on her sister's coffin. "I love you," she whispered. Clarice wept into Phillip's shoulder, and he placed an arm around her to comfort her.

After the funeral, Madeleine retreated to Rose's room hoping to find solace. She walked around the room touching items here and there with her fingertips. Footsteps clicked in the hall, causing her to fixate on the door momentarily. Her face fell as they quickly passed by, disappearing down the corridor somewhere. "I thought that might be you getting ready to burst through the door," she said quietly to herself. She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes trying desperately not to cry. "I've cried too much today," she said. "No more."

She collapsed on a long chair with Rose's robe resting on it, and her head hit something hard in the pocket. She chuckled when she saw the item. "Oh, Rose. That's so like you." It was the book Rose had been reading when she stumbled upon Marina's hidden city, _Fairy Kin_.

She opened the book to the table of contents and read each chapter title. Her brow furrowed inquiringly at the chapter entitled, "Potions." She flipped to that page and began reading. She was uninterested in the first several potions listed. Each was familiar to her and had been taught to her growing up, but she stopped abruptly upon reading a certain one. "Black Heart," she whispered curiously. An illustration identical to the vial that Rose drank could be seen just underneath the potion name heading. She read a few lines.

_The Black Heart potion has historically been used by witches to convert the righteous into evildoers. Although little is known about this dark magic, including its recipe and antidote, the side effects are clear: complete loss of goodness and love. Very few that have fallen under the Black Heart spell have returned to their original selves. It is important to find the victim before one year has passed, or they will remain evil until their deaths. (Beware that if one year should pass, the only cure is death.) For those that have been cured before the one year mark, the nature of their restoration is unknown._

Having a possible solution, Madeleine excitedly rushed to the door to tell Anthony the news. Not knowing Phillip was reaching for the knob at the same time, she swung the door open widely, causing him to crash to the floor. "Prince Phillip!" she squealed happily.

Phillip gazed up her from his back with a confused expression. "Madeleine?"

"Look at what I just found!" She handed him the book as he still laid on the floor, her finger marking the page she wanted him to read.

Taking the book and softly rubbing away the pain in the back of his head, he opened to the Black Heart portion and read. His reaction matched Madeleine's. "We have to show this to King Anthony."

Together they made their way to Anthony and Jacqueline's bedroom. A handmaiden dutifully stood her post outside the door. "I'll just ask the king if -" she began, but Madeleine growled impatiently in frustration and shoved past the woman. "Hey!" shouted the maid angrily.

Phillip shrugged apologetically on behalf of Madeleine but quickly followed her inside the bedroom. Jacqueline was sitting on the balcony, and Anthony was staring at his empty desktop. He was surprised by their intrusion. "What is this?" he asked them, rising to his feet.

Phillip placed the book in front of him open-faced. "Read this, Your Majesty," he instructed.

Anthony, although confused, did as he was told. When he finished reading, his mouth spread into a triumphant smile. "We haven't lost her yet," he breathed.

The queen shed tears of joy upon hearing the news, and she embraced her husband.

"But we only have one year," Madeleine specified. "If we can't find her within that timeframe, we really could lose her forever."

"I'll inform the other kingdoms immediately of this update," said Anthony, excited by the possibility of having his daughter back.

"I'll begin forming a search party," spoke Phillip.

"Wonderful," agreed Anthony. "Each kingdom should consider forming search parties. Marina may have another hidden city somewhere, ready to strike at any moment. I'll also send word to cities in the nomad lands."

"Wardes are excellent trackers," noted Madeleine to Phillip. "You should utilize their strengths."

Phillip met with Lance and Red as they seemed to be the leaders in their respective factions. The other wardes as well as Bianca were there for the meeting. "Madeleine informed me that wardes are skilled in tracking people. Do you think you could help me find Rose and Marina?"

"Of course we'll help," they all agreed instantly.

"This is not a task to take lightly," Phillip warned. "You will be away from your friends and family, and we may be gone for an entire year."

Again, they did not hesitate to answer, "We're with you."

"I thought we could start by searching Marina's palace. I'm sure she has written plans, maps, something - anything - to get us started."

"What are we waiting for then?" asked Red. "Let's get to work!"

"You may not need to do that," offered Bianca meekly. "I think I know where Marina took Rose. Marina used my step-mother's talisman to travel to the other world and find Rose; she gave it back to her recently, and I wasn't sure why until now. I think they're planning to hide out in the other world until they're ready to attack again."

The room grew quiet, and all eyes turned to Phillip for guidance. Looking back at them he said, "Let's find Anthony. We're going to the other world."

Anthony agreed to the search in the other world, and Phillip reclaimed his family's portal talisman from Clarice. "I'm going too, Phillip," said Madeleine. "You'll need someone who's been there before. Also, because Marina isn't familiar with the other world, she'll rely on Rose a lot, so I have an idea of where to begin looking for them."

"Right," agreed Phillip. ''I'd like to take Lance and his group with us into the other world, and I'm asking for Red and his team to stay here with King Anthony. In the event that Marina _hasn't_ taken Rose to the other world, someone will need to stay behind and search here as well."

The group concurred, so they motioned to carry out the plan.


	12. Chapter 12

Rocky Mountains, Colorado. Rose breathed in the evening fog, remembering all the times she had hiked here with her aunts. Although now those memories seemed so distant they may have only been dreams. She stood outside the invisible wall concealing hers and Marina's new hideout. They were high in the mountains, hidden deep in the forest.

She caught sight of something large a few yards away and to her left. A bear. The animal froze in its tracks when it saw her. Turning her head to get a better view of it, the creature offered her a low rumbled warning. She stood very still, making sure to maintain eye contact. She grinned as a shrill hiss escaped her throat, causing the bear to flee in fear. Rose simply chuckled at her victory.

"Rose?" she heard Marina call. She stepped back through the wall and saw that Marina had finished preparing their hideout. They would not be hiding in a castle, but rather a large cabin. It blended in with many other homes and luxury getaways in the area. She, Marina, Estelle and Declan would live there until it was time to carry out Marina's war plans. "Won't you come inside? Declan will be here soon. He's just making sure everyone back home has a place to stay."

"Nomad lands?" Rose guessed.

"Some, yes. Others will try to blend in with the other kingdoms. It helps to have inside information." Marina grinned and winked as she strode toward Rose, placing her arm around her and gently pulling her toward the cabin.

"Where's Estelle?"

"She's inside starting on the decorating. Would you like to join us?"

Rose shrugged. "I have nothing better to do," she said.

"Wonderful," Marina smiled.

Inside, Estelle had already finished most of the decorating. The three-story home was fronted by large windows with a spectacular view of the forest and the distant road laying several miles below them. Rose found Estelle's theme very cliché for a mountain home; earthy tones and rustic furniture filled each room, and pictures of nature hung on the walls. "Nice," Rose said plainly.

"Thank you," said Estelle.

"I guess you really don't need any help." Rose sat on a chair beside a fireplace in the living area. She stared out the great windows at the falling leaves. "How did I get here?" she asked Marina suddenly.

Estelle gave Marina a wary look before scurrying into the back where the kitchen was. "What do you mean, darling?" Marina asked sweetly, taking a seat in the chair beside her.

"My memories... They seem hazy to me. I remember leaving the castle and seeing my aunts in the tower, and I remember Phillip being there too." Rose struggled to piece everything together.

"They betrayed you, Rose. I'm your family now. You're in love with Declan, my son, and no one understands that. _I_, on the other hand, understand what it's like to not want to marry the man your parents intended for you. You should be able to choose. Coming here will allow you to marry Declan in peace." Marina kept her voice calm and empathetic.

"Oh, right," said Rose, shaking her head confusedly. The image she held of Declan in her mind was hazy too. Short hair the same shade of ebony as his mother's, tall, handsome... But how had they met? What did his voice sound like? How had they fallen in love? _It's like someone forced him into my memory. It doesn't feel like mine_.

"Look what I found while I was out," Marina glowed. She knelt in front of Rose's feet and pulled several magazines out of a bag. "Aren't these wonderful?"

"Wedding magazines?" Rose grinned. She happily reached for one and flipped through its pages.

"You can have _anything_ you want, Rose," Marina told her. "It'll be your dream wedding." She watched as Rose's fingers traced over a picture of a wedding dress, so she waved her hand causing it to take form on Rose's body.

Rose's face lit up as she stood wearing the elegant white gown. Marina then conjured full length mirrors to form a half-circle, and Rose spun around admiring herself from every angle. "It's beautiful," she said softly. She turned to Marina and hugged her.

"I told you, Rose. You can have anything you want."

"Thank you!"

The mirrors disappeared and her dress returned to jeans and a t-shirt. "Are you hungry?" asked Marina. "I thought we could go into town for a bite to eat."

"Okay," Rose agreed.

"I think _you_ should drive that contraption, Rose," suggested Estelle as she reemerged from the kitchen. "I can't figure it out."

The three women climbed into the car, and Rose drove them several miles into the nearest town. Not feeling very hungry herself, Rose watched as Marina and Estelle enjoyed their meals, while she continued mulling over her thoughts. Something still didn't feel right to her. This situation didn't feel _real_. She sighed.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Marina asked her.

Rose grinned and nodded. "Everything's fine," she chimed, taking a bite of a french fry.

Rain drizzled as they drove back to the cabin, and Rose heard Marina and Estelle murmuring in the back seat, but she paid little attention to what they were saying. "We'll go back in a year when -" Marina paused, "when things settle down here."

"First the wedding," added Estelle.

"Right, the wedding first," Marina agreed giddily. "Oh! We have to think of a guest list!"

Rose felt like she should care more about her upcoming nuptials, but for some reason she felt detached. _I wish my aunts could be there, _she thought._ I wish they approved of Declan. Maybe once we're married they'll be more accepting_. But she knew that would be too good to be true. _They'll probably hate me even more for getting married behind their backs_. A surge of anger suddenly rushed through her body. _Well, I don't need them anyway!_ she thought angrily. Rose noticed a sudden change in her mood swings lately. One moment she'd be bored, then she'd be angry, and then she'd be depressed. She almost never felt truly happy. Sometimes she thought she felt a tinge of happiness when thinking of her aunts, her parents, or even of Phillip, but something was tugging at her, pulling her further away from them. _It's their fault we're growing apart_, she thought. _If only they'd let me marry the man I love_.

"We're home!" Marina announced.

Rose opened the car door and looked into the front windows of the cabin. She saw a figure standing inside watching them exit their car. _It must be Declan_.

He met them at the front door and greeted them each with a hug. "Hello, Mother," he smiled.

"Did you take care of our friends?" Marina asked him.

"Yes, everything is in place," he ensured.

Rose slowly made her way up the front steps onto the porch. Her cheeks flushed when Declan smiled his perfect smile and reached out his hand for hers. He took off his jacket and offered it to her. "The rain is cold," he told her.

"We'll leave you two alone," Marina smirked while lightly bumping Estelle with her elbow.

"Hi," Rose said bashfully.

Declan chuckled, "You're behaving strangely. Is something wrong?"

"No, no, of course not." Rose was trying to convince herself more than anyone else. "I've just been feeling really weird lately. I think I'm under a lot of stress."

"Weddings can be stressful," Declan agreed. "If you ever need help, I'll be here for you anytime you need me." His smile made her knees feel weak. He brushed her hair from her face, and she felt her heart pound in her chest. She could tell by the way he was watching her that he was about to kiss her. As their lips touched, a sensation swept over that things were as they should be, and her life was about to make sense again.

When their kiss finished, Declan kept Rose close to him, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. "Declan?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you... love me?"

Gently placing his hands on either side of her face, he tipped her head up and looked her in the eyes. "I've loved you since the moment we met. I always knew you and I belonged together. I was devastated when your father changed his mind about our engagement."

Memories flashed through her mind. _This is familiar, right?_ "He changed his mind," she repeated softly.

"He claimed it was to establish peace between his kingdom and King Henry's kingdom," he explained. "But he didn't realize what heartache it would cause you. You were already in love."

"With you," she smiled. Another moment entered her thoughts of an argument she'd had with her father regarding his decision to change her wedding plans.

Declan nodded. "And it was so sudden," he added. "It wasn't fair to you." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her against him again.

"When are we having the wedding?" she asked.

"As soon as possible!" he exclaimed with a smile. "I can't wait to call you my wife!" Declan lifted Rose into the air and spun her around joyfully, the rain still trickling down upon them.

Rose laughed gleefully. "Your mother is helping me with the wedding planning. I think we're going over the guest list soon."

"As I said, love, if you need help with anything, just let me know."

"Thank you. I will."

"I love you," he whispered into her ear, and he kissed her again.

She smiled and stared into his eyes. She wanted to say 'I love you too,' but as she watched him, something within her wouldn't allow her mouth to form the words, so she simply continued smiling up at him.

They walked inside holding hands. "Aren't they just adorable, Marina?" Estelle asked, tilting her head.

"Yes, they are," Marina agreed. "Are you two getting ready for bed?"

"I think so," Rose answered. "I feel so tired."

Declan kissed her cheek. "You've had a long day, love. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight," the three said in unison.

Rose started up the stairs, glancing back at them momentarily. Marina waved to Rose cheerfully, and Declan blew her a kiss. Grinning, she continued into her room. Her king sized bed frame was made of a type of dark wood, and a leafy bedspread was already laid out. She took a warm shower and dressed in comfortable pajamas. Sleep came easily to Rose, and she rested well.

She had no idea she was being brainwashed into believing she had chosen another life. She had no idea that at that moment her true love, her true family and her true friends were on their way to search for her and bring her back to them. This false life would be coming to an end, and a war-filled journey would soon begin.

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**The end of ****_Sleeping Beauty_****! I will be writing a sequel called, ****_The Princess Wars: The Sea's Wild Child_****. It will continue from where ****_Sleeping Beauty_**** left off, but written from Dalis' POV. I already have a few chapters finished, so it will be posted soon. **

**Thank you all so much for your support! I hope you continue on with me in the next story. :-) You have no idea how much I value you.**


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